Family Campout 2017

Happy October! We have had such an eventful September, it's hard to believe it's already over. This coming month will be just as full of social gatherings, including our Elementary overnight, Open Houses, Parent Conferences, VdM's parent event: the Hoedown, and an all-time favorite, which will be back on campus: BooFest - whew! Get those calendars ready! Be sure to check your email for these main events, and enjoy the photos from our most recent family event: the family campout. Villa di Maria families enjoyed a low-key (unseasonably warm, but beautiful) evening camping out on the school grounds. The bravest families set up tents and stayed overnight, while plenty of others joined friends for campfire chats, s'mores, and dark woods exploration before heading home to sleep in their own beds.It was a great opportunity to meet some new families and some adorable little siblings!The children thoroughly enjoyed running around in the dark, eating sticky treats, and learning about fire safety! Have a lovely Monday.

Get Ready for the Hoedown!

Villa di Maria staff, parents, and alumni: you don't want to miss this! As part of VdM's Capital Campaign fundraiser and larger celebration of our school's legacy, we are hosting a fantastic event: the hoedown! It's just around the corner, on Saturday, October 14th, and we're in need of a head count to make sure we make the event extra special! More about the upcoming event and how to RSVP, below.  This adults-only event is one you don't want to miss. There will be a mechanical bull (!), live music, delicious barbecue from Sugarfire, and beverages, in addition to great company and loads of fun. Be ready to bid at our silent auction and participate in a raffle, and get a tour of the new elementary building. Don't forget to wear your western attire: cowboy boots, hats, bandanas, and overalls all welcome! Please RSVP as soon as possible: mariab@villadimaria.org - we hope to see you there!

Who We Are: Tricia Jöstlein

As part of a series we’re calling Who We Are, we’re working to build and connect our community by interviewing the talented, dynamic parents and staff who make up the people of Villa di Maria. Today, we meet Tricia Jöstlein (rhymes with “coastline,” starts with a y sound, our new Reading Specialist. Tricia is already a familiar face within the VdM community, as she has is the busy, active, engaged parent of two children who attend school here: Klaus, in Upper Elementary, and Max, who just entered Lower Elementary. Below, a bit about Tricia and her transition from Montessori enthusiast to Reading Specialist!Tricia and her husband Thomas are active VdM community members,  offering up their time and knowledge when possible. Tricia completed the AMI Elementary training in 2016 from the Montessori Institute of Milwaukee. She has also been trained in the Orton-Gillingham approach to reading instruction, which combines multi-sensory techniques with the structure of the English language. The approach incorporates the three learning pathways: auditory, kinesthetic and visual, and benefits all types of learning styles. Tricia, with her Montessori and Orton-Gillingham training, is able to weave together the best of both worlds to provide outstanding support. Welcome, Tricia!Villa di Maria: Tell us a bit about your introduction to Montessori.Tricia Jöstlein: When we were looking for preschool options for Klaus, I stumbled upon a book about Montessori at a friend’s house. I was immediately drawn to this approach. Allowing a child to follow his interests and to achieve mastery by manipulating beautifully designed materials seemed to me like a perfect approach to education. A few years later, we were exploring options for elementary. I came to Villa for the Silent Journey and it took me all of 30 seconds to know this was the right place for our family.VdM: How did this transition into an interest in the Reading Specialist position here at Villa?TJ: At the time Klaus started primary, my husband, Thomas, had just landed his dream job with the St. Louis Symphony and I was a freelance musician (we both play the French horn). In 2014, I began a three-summer training program at the Montessori Institute of Milwaukee. While I was definitely passionate about Montessori, I wasn’t at all sure what I would do with my training. Up to that point, I had been a professional musician for all of my adult life. Would I teach full time and hang up the instrument I’d played since I was 10? Ultimately, the reading specialist position at VdM opened up and it’s a great fit for me. My life is certainly full! I am adjunct teacher of Applied Music at Webster Univeristy, and I play as an extra with the SLSO as well as other local groups like Chamber Project St. Louis, Winter Opera and The Heartland Festival Orchestra in Washington, IL. (Here is a Youtube video of Thomas and me playing)VdM: What do you love most about Montessori, as it relates to your own children, and to the broader community in general?TJ: I love how Montessori requires children to think for themselves and to try new things without excessive fear of failure.VdM: Do you have any hobbies?TJ: People imagine Thomas and me sitting around playing horn duets all day, and while he’s my favorite person to play next to, we rarely play together at home. (If you’re around Villa at lunch time, you may hear me practicing in the cabin.) My love for books far exceeds my time to read them; I have quite a stack (mostly nonfiction) on my bedside waiting to be read. I love short stories, poetry, number puzzles, Scrabble, and friendly games of poker. I actually like writing letters, and I’ve saved nearly every letter ever sent to me. Through trial and error, I’ve become a pretty decent cook. A couple times a year, I get the Martha Stewart bug and dive into a crazy baking or craft project. Last year I figured out how to make picture-perfect French macaroons!VdM: What are you most looking forward to this school year?TJ: I’m really excited about developing lessons for different levels of readers and spellers. Since I love word-play, I see myself as developing the next generation of Scrabble champs! I’m playing a faculty recital at Webster University on October 9, and my family is looking forward to a trip to Germany over winter break. Most of all, I always look forward to watching my children grow into their own very interesting people.Welcome, Tricia! We are thrilled to have you on the VdM team!

Beginning Soon: The Parent-Child Course!

Villa di Maria is thrilled to introduce a new 5-week course which will be available for parents and their young children, ages 8 weeks to 2 years, to connect, share, observe, and learn in a supportive, nurturing environment. Parents will learn, among other things, how to observe and respect their young child's natural development, when to intervene, the importance language plays in parenting very young children, and most of all, how to support a child in his or her self formation. It is also an introduction to Montessori and how to implement its principles within the home. More on the program, and how to sign up, below.Sessions will be led by Cab Yau, who has received her Assistants to Infancy certification, and also happens to be a compassionate, approachable, knowledgeable mother of three children here at Villa di Maria. Her goal is to welcome parents into an environment that is set up for their young child. The class provides both an opportunity to observe and interact with their child in a way that respects and celebrates their development, and how to support this development.Cab shares, "The child at this very young age is constructing herself.  She is learning, absorbing really, what it means to be a human being - how we move through space, how we communicate (both through language acquisition and the art of communicating), how we treat each other.  By providing an environment that is prepared specifically to support the child's development and more crucially by providing support and information for the parent we hope to support the child's self-construction, so that hers is a solid foundation upon which she can build."

"I want to help parents see how capable their child is and to give them some extra tools to use at home," Cab continues.

Registration starts soon, as the course will begin mid-October, but be sure to sign up soon as space is limited to 10 children and their accompanying caregivers. This course is not only available for parents of current VdM students, but also to the public; you do not have to be a Montessori family to join! Please contact Carrie Tallon, Director of Education (carriet@villadimaria.org) for more information.We hope to see you there!

The Great Lesson The Coming of Life Part 1: Presented by the Sixth-Years

The Upper Elementary children have been busy and creative during this past month of school. September has brought with it an outpouring of ideas, meetings, signing of the classroom constitution, reports, and even a play performed by the sixth-years on the second Great Lesson: "The Coming of Life." Below, some photos from the play, and Upper Elementary Directress Rebecca Callander's thoughtful, complex reasons for engaging the sixth-years to present this lesson.   Beginning where the "Story of the Universe" ended, the sixth-years presented the second Great Lesson, “The Coming of Life,” with a play, which, according to Upper Elementary Guide Rebecca Callander,  "...resulted in a spontaneous and searching conversation about life, creation, energy and science." Each performer had an important role to play, and the fifth- and fourth-year students were completely captivated.In Rebecca's words:"Great Lessons are meant to fire the imagination in order to answer the why questions of childhood, to allow the child to develop morality and reason. They offer a concrete representation for abstract concepts of the ancient past, such as the origin of life.  These tangible representations provide child with an image and story from which to understand such concepts.  Naturally, the children come to love and cherish these stories, but as they begin the transition from second plane to third, from the child to the adolescent, a new set of rules, a new operating system is required. Paramount to Montessori education, to support this somewhat tenuous passage from second to third plane, it is important to meet the child where they are—to follow them.""This means simultaneously appealing to both their intellect and their emotions, their mind and their heart.  The characteristics of the elements of the story are well understood at this point and the basic story, presented as status quo will become redundant and therefore fail to fire the imagination of the oldest child.  Further, the sixth year child is an emerging skeptic. Having the sixth years present the Coming of Life keeps them in the conversation, maintains their engagement on both an intellectual level as they research the story and also an emotional-social level as they express their feelings via a play and working together. Finally, the sixth year is the culminating year, where the children are asking themselves what they know.  By being in charge of the presentation, they are accountable for their knowledge - they own it!""Our Great Lesson, the Coming of Life presents the story of the rise of life. The story begins as narrators recap the First Great Lesson, the Story of the Universe, discussing the laws of the universe and focusing on the ending of the story, where volcanic activity subsided, water emerged on Earth, and the Earth was comprised of Rocks, Air, and Water, all in cahoots with the sun. The narrators remind the audience that while no one was there to see this amazing transformative moment on Earth, we can imagine what it must have been like. We are introduced to the characters Air, Rocks, and Water, and the Sun, who are in a heated discussion because Water was carrying crumbled Rocks into the Sea and muddying the waters.  Water, as a result was a caustic mess of acid, and Air was oxygen deficient.  Life is introduced on the Earth’s stage to help the balance of the environment.  To solve the problem, life is given basic instructions--all life must eat, grow, and reproduce.  Some of life uses the excess carbon and creates its own food, while others must find other food.  The emergence of the plant and animal kingdoms. There is a unity to the conversation of life. All life follows this rule and lives in a symbiotic relationship with the Earth."  

Above: the "Big Boss" convenes with "Air" and "Sun"

The sixth-years thoroughly enjoyed their roles!

"Let us not forget the second plane characteristics of Hero Worship.  We elementary guides are so sneaky sometimes—we help create the framework that supports the community of the room! By having the oldest children in the Upper Elementary room present the Coming of Life, the youngest children engage in the presentation on a new level, one of burgeoning self-identity, 'I could be like them one day' and emulation 'I will make my own play too.'  The fourth years feel a deeper sense of connection to the social fabric of the room when the sixth years present, 'They cared enough to tell the story to me, that must mean they like me too!'  And finally, presenting the Coming of Life generally happens within the first month of school.  For the sixth years, this is an early experience of leadership as a sixth year student, and helps to set the tone of their year of reflection and culmination.  Also, by having the sixth years present the story tells them that the guide values their input, their work,  'Ms. Rebecca cares enough of us that she is asking us to present the Great Lesson!'"Following the second Great Lesson, the fourth-years are studying the Timeline of Life, focusing on the advent of life, the evolution of single-celled organisms to multi-celled organisms, and a general overview of different geological time periods. As a follow-up to the timeline, fourth-years are planning a Going-Out to the Meramec Highlands Quarry at Dee Koestering Park in Kirkwood.  It is an incredible place to view the fossil life of our environs during the Meramecian Period, roughly 346.7 to 330.9 mya.The Upper Elementary classroom is chock full of resources relating to these lessons and areas of study, including the comprehensive Smithsonian book, Earth: The Definitive Visual Guide. Please be sure to check back for part 2 of this post, where we will discuss more on the Coming of Life through our upcoming fossil hike through the Highlands Rock Quarry in the Dee Koestering Park! Thank you, Rebecca, for sharing all of this insight into the sixth years and setting the stage for success in Upper Elementary! 

On Climbing Trees

One thing you cannot help but notice when visiting Villa di Maria's campus is the abundance of trees of all shapes, sizes, ages, and stages. If you happen to arrive during recess time, you will likely spot at least one or two Lower or Upper Elementary children hanging from a branch, peeking up through the tree canopy, or even reading way up high in the cool shade. Why do we let our children climb trees? The answer, below.The most obvious benefit of tree-climbing is a physical one; children get a great amount of exercise pulling themselves up into branches. They learn about balance and spatial awareness. Also: bravery! Children who climb trees learn to take calculated risks. They inadvertently learn about gravity and calculating jumps (where they feel safe enough to jump versus what is too high and will result in that uncomfortable tingling when their feet hit the ground too hard).Studies show that taking small risks in childhood can result in a boost in confidence, self-assuredness, and resilience. Climbing trees is the perfect risk - especially when there are plenty of adults around campus to supervise! Though it is infrequent that an adult needs to tell a child to come down because he or she is not being safe.There is a noticeable calmness that comes over a child who has climbed to a desirable spot in a tree. The view is lovely from above. It is peaceful to be hidden amidst the leaves and branches - to feel the breeze, hear the rustling of leaves. A child's mind can open, his imagination run free. A child who climbs into a tree may seek solace there; in a tree, there is a quiet space, a little distance from others, and comfort in being close to nature. It's the perfect place to recharge.One of the main reasons we allow the children to climb trees: it's a source of play: “According to the emotion regulation theory, play is, among other things, the way that young mammals learn to control their fear and anger so they can encounter real-life dangers, and interact in close quarters with others, without succumbing to negative emotions,” states Peter Gray, in Risky Play: Why Children Love it and Need it. Children are naturally drawn to trees and the climbing and conquering of them because trees are nature's original jungle gyms and climbing structures!Dr. Gray goes on to say, “Over the past 60 years we have witnessed, in our culture, a continuous, gradual, but ultimately dramatic decline in children’s opportunities to play freely, without adult control, and especially in their opportunities to play in risky ways. Over the same 60 years we have also witnessed a continuous, gradual, but ultimately dramatic increase in all sorts of childhood mental disorders, especially emotional disorders.”And from Maria Montessori herself, who clearly valued nature and the inevitability of and importance of play and work for all living things: "... Does Nature make a difference between work and play or occupation and rest?  Watch the unending activity of the flowing stream or the growing tree.  See the breakers of the ocean, the unceasing movements of the earth, the planets, the sun and the stars.  All creation is life, movement, work.  What about our hearts, our lungs, our bloodstream which work continuously from birth till death?  Have they asked for some rest?  Not even during sleep are they inactive.  What about our mind which works without intermission while we are awake or asleep?" (Dr. Maria Montessori, What You Should Know About Your Child)It is the least we can do to provide our children with some of the best parts of childhood, here, at school.Trees, and green spaces in general, provide a sense of wonder within a child, and a connection with the natural world that cannot be replicated elsewhere.

Above: A Lower Elementary student builds up her strength and climbing abilities; in the background is the enormous branch that fell the night before school...

... which has provided ample learning opportunities for curious minds!

This child was fascinated by the woven patterns within the fragments of wood that had broken free of the large branch when it fell.

Though the Primary children do not have many opportunities to climb trees yet, they certainly will when they reach Lower Elementary. The Primary student above took advantage of Family Swim Night to climb one of his favorite trees, usually just out of reach beyond the playground fence, and was delighted to explore and challenge himself with his parents close-by!

Some general rules about allowing your children to climb trees:

1. Teach your child from an early age to choose nice thick branches on which to stand. Show him that if a branch is as thick as his arm, it's most likely strong enough to stand on. If it's thinner, he should not put his weight on it.
2. Refrain from lifting your child into trees; if he cannot get up alone, he most likely cannot get down alone, and it may be too high for his strength and/or ability. Also, a child who is in charge of his climbing generally will not go beyond his limits.
3. Teach your child to always have three points of contact on the tree (two hands, one foot; two feet, one hand, etc) to lesson the likelihood of falls.
4. Shove a book into a back pocket and enjoy the peace and quiet!

Happy climbing!

Who We Are: Cortney & Patrick Kelley

As part of a series we’re calling Who We Are, we’re working to build and connect our community by interviewing the talented, dynamic parents and staff who make up the people of Villa di Maria. Today, we meet Cortney and Patrick Kelley, and their three children: Clayton, Anna Rose, and Kevin. Below, they share their introduction to Montessori (hint: it has to do with our very own word of mouth). Enjoy!Villa di Maria: Tell us a bit about your family.Cortney Kelley: We are originally from Cleveland but moved to St. Louis 11 years ago because of Patrick’s work. We have 3 children. Our oldest is Clayton, who is 9 years old, and he just started in Racks and Tubes.  This is his first experience with Montessori.  Clayton is a compassionate, sweet and caring boy. He is always honest and fair, not a rule breaker. He loves to ride his bike and play sports and rap (yes, rap)!Anna Rose will be 7 in October and is in the Checkerboard classroom.  She is full of zest, curiosity, and love.  Although it may give her bruises and 3 layers of stitches, nothing holds her back.  She is a nurturer, loves all things and is willing to try anything at least once.  This summer she has loved fishing.  Anna Rose attended VdM for a 1.5 years in P3.Our youngest is Kevin who turned 4 in April and just started in P1.  This is also his first experience with Montessori.  He enjoys nature too.  He is a master in Uno, War, and is about there in chess (that Knight is a tough one to grasp.VdM: Can you tell us about your background and education?CK:  Patrick graduated with a finance degree from Ohio University and works for a local investment firm.  I graduated from John Carroll University with a business degree, although I was originally a Biology major (I changed that mid freshman year after I had a 7:00am bio lab). Currently, I stay at home, sometimes wishing I was in a biology lab!VdM: Do you have any hobbies? How do you and your family enjoy spending your spare time?CK: In our time off from work (excluding children) this is probably what we enjoy most: each other's company, games, and nature.  And when we’re together as a family, well, we enjoy the same!VdM: How were you introduced to Montessori?CK: We were introduced to Villa di Maria by the Matlocks.  Sean and Patrick work together and at a Christmas party Jamie and I got to talking about school and education.  She told me about Villa di Maria and we loved it.  This year we wanted all of our children to be at the same school so we are back.VdM: What are you looking forward to most this school year?CK: We look forward to getting to know the families of VdM.  We are super excited to fully embrace the culture and philosophy that that sets VdM apart from other schools.Thank you, Cortney and Patrick, for sharing this bit of your life with us. We are so glad to have you back! Welcome to Clayton and Kevin, and welcome back, Anna Rose! 

Cutting on Lines

One challenging and enjoyable work in the Primary environment involves real scissors for children ready to wield them. Cutting on Lines can be appropriate for children as young as 2.5, with the only prerequisite lesson being handling sharp objects. Here, a young child receives the lesson from Primary Guide Reghan McAuley on a sunny September morning. Care is taken in handling the sharp scissors; the Guide places her thumb through the smaller hole, and her fingers through the larger hole of the scissors. She moves slowly and thoughtfully as the child watches.If the child's eyes stray while the Guide is giving the lesson, she stops and gently redirects his attention back to the task. He watches attentively as she lines up the scissors along the first line on the strip of paper, then cuts it so that it falls into the bowl.Now, it is his turn! Completing this straightforward work requires that a child have sufficient hand and finger strength. Once he is given this lesson, a child often returns to it again and again to gain mastery. It is such a satisfying work!If you receive an envelope filled with many small strips of cut paper, you will know the care and hard work that went into handling the scissors, holding the paper just so, and coordinating many movements to make this happen. Cutting on Lines is a wonderful demonstration of fine motor skills and practice in concentration!"A three-year-old educated according to Montessori pedagogy, becomes a master of his hand and undertakes with a joy a variety of human activities.  These activities allow him to develop the power of concentration." (San Remo Lectures, p. 27)

September at Villa di Maria

September at Villa di Maria is one of the most beautiful months! The campus is a gorgeous mix of color. Everything is still green and lush, with the first autumn colors sneaking through; along with the colorful blooms planted last spring that are nearing their end and the abundance of butterflies that visit them, the hawks that frequent the campus, and the beautiful weather we've experienced, September is shaping up to be a real beauty. See what the children at Villa di Maria have been up to below. 

We've found the first fall colors!

It's unanimous; working outdoors is the best!

Upper Elementary Guide Rebecca Callander and her students take advantage of the beautiful weather during an inspirational writing assignment

Wildflowers bloom just beyond the playing fields

The first pumpkins are tucked in all around campus

Elementary children enjoy a pick-up soccer game during recess

Operations Coordinator Jeremy Lang lets his trusty pal Hank tag along, much to the children's delight, which is good practice for exciting things to come...

Primary children enjoy the outdoor prepared environment every morning

Hard at work in the woods at every opportunity

The trailhead to the woods, a favorite place for Elementary children during their recess time

Butterflies and pumpkins!

Primary children test the laws of physics (in a clown-car sort of way)!

We hope you are enjoying this lovely month!

Montessori at Home: Lynne's Art Space

Montessori schools have such inviting, calm spaces, it's no wonder families seek to recreate a similar environment within their own homes. While home is home and home is not a classroom, there are a few things we can do to facilitate an orderly work space for our children within our home. Today, we share Primary Assistant Sophie Andre's beautiful, inspiring home Montessori space which she organized for her three-year-old daughter Lynne. Sophie originally shared this space on her blog, 琳 CHRONIQUES D’UNE GLOBE-TÊTEUSE on August 19th, and so generously agreed to let us share it here, with you, in addition to a short interview with Sophie about the space. Enjoy, and be sure to check out Sophie's blog, which is written in both French and English!Today I open the door of our new house to show you Lynne’s space dedicated to arts and crafts: the studio. Lynne shares this space with her dad who has his working desk here too (I agreed to let him a bit of space ! ;)). This room receives a lot of light through the day. Towards the end of the afternoon it is particularly enjoyable with the golden light coming through the big west window.This is where Lynne can play music, paint, draw, glue, tape, work with yarn or beads or other material… and read. I gathered all the books related to art and music (there are different reading corners throughout the house). I wanted to create a peaceful space, uncluttered and without too much visual distraction. So except for a mirror, our Chinese water painting of  fishes (that follows us everywhere), and some painting cards that I rotate, there is nothing on the walls.Lynne can freely access all the materials presented on the shelves : glue, tape, markers, pencils, scissors, different kinds of paper, stickers, paint, yarn, pompoms, pipe cleaners, beads… homemade play dough is stored in the fridge so Lynne needs to ask for it.The finished work (this is coming directly from what we do in our Montessori classroom) is put in a bin under the office supplies shelf. This is not very convenient but I did not find a better place for now. We go through this bin when it is full to select what Lynne wants to keep (I store it in the closet of her bedroom) and what can be recycled.There are two kinds of paint available : the regular washable paint used on the easel and the watercolor painting on a tray for more refined technique and different projects. In each case, we went though all steps that lead her to use this material independently. She has her apron on the side, towel and bucket (the bathroom is just beside). Obviously, I make sure to help with the cleaning if needed and remind her of some steps. I ordered on Amazon those no-spill paint cups. Very convenient to prevent accidents, and also to store paint.The craft shelf can present different activities depending on Lynne’s interest. Currently, we can see scrap papers, tracing lines and cutting worksheets, the watercolor painting tray, a basket of wood sticks, pipe cleaners, pompoms, googly eyes, beads and thread, yarn and pompom maker, gooey tiny balls (that look a bit like playdough) with a vinyl mat, and a basket of playdough ustensils with a vinyl mat.The music space, with different instruments: percussion, wind, xylophone, and the beautiful bells given to me by my uncle this summer, music books or books related to music, a rain stick, and matching cards of music instruments by Eltern vom mars.Villa di Maria: This space is so beautiful! What was your inspiration?Sophie Andre: There is a wonderful Montessori inspired mom community on social media. The writers of the blogs Our Montessori Life and How We Montessori are big references, but I am particularly fond of Eltern vom Mars. Anna takes amazing pictures and her settings are so inspiring, clean, white, peaceful. Our classrooms are obviously also good places to find inspiration for organization principles.VdM: How do you foresee Lynne's music and art space changing as she grows?SA: Good question.... I think she will be able to use this space for some years. The setting will probably stay the same as the room is not very big and Lynne shares it with her dad. Rather, the changes will concern what is available to her: the art supplies more varied, the craft material more complex, and asking more refined skills. There are so many art/craft activities to offer and then let her explore. I have a lot of art books waiting for her when she is bit older (museum gift shops are the best places in the world !). The music shelf is completed little by little when I find interesting instruments. Lynne loves music and dance; she likes to explore sounds. I still need to think and work on this shelf. The real music player is accessible to her on the living room, but she is not using it very much and I am not too happy with the setting right now... See, it is a perpetual thinking!VdM: What tips do you have for parents who want to convert a space in their home to make it more Montessori-friendly?SA: At first, I fed my imagination with my favorite blogs. Then I sat on the floor and looked. Imagined our own space... I spent a long long time daydreaming on the floor, at the level of my daughter's height. What would she see?  What would she like to use?  This can take days or months!

Arts and crafts can be messy. What is the level of freedom I am ready to give to my child ? Would I prefer her to do this or that specific activity outside or I am ready to let her do it inside?  What space would be the best for everyone's interest? Can I give a whole room or just a little shelf?  Is there enough light or do I need to add more?  Is the area available okay when spills occur (can I wash easily or is there carpet?) or I will be mad if my beautiful sheers are stained? What can my child handle?  What do I set aside for now?

I thought the key was just like in the classroom, to prepare the environment the best I can for my child to succeed and avoid big messes (and preserve the peace!). I wondered for each activity what would she need to complete the activity and clean up. If I let her freely use paint, she obviously needs a towel nearby, an apron, a pot to put dirty brushes, a vinyl protection for the floor, paper that's easy to access, a place to put the finished paint, a sink not too far... I cut some vinyl mats for the use of play dough or glue...

I am personally a huge fan of shelves for my daughter. I like the idea of one place for each thing. It helps to keep everything clean and accessible. Pots, bins, and desk organizers will help. I make sure pencils, markers, papers, and stickers are in good condition and attractive. Honestly, once the space is organized, it does not require me to take much time to check and straighten it. I try to erase any trace of pencils or marker (with my friend the magic eraser) to emphasize and help build the feeling of "Oh, this place looks nice and clean, let's try to keep it this way."

Our Swedish friend Ikea is a great place to find kid-friendly items. This is where I bought the desk and chair, the easel, some pencils. And once again, I keep thinking, sitting on my floor, observing my daughter, and I wonder, why she does not put her finished drawing in the basket where it should be? I observe, silly me, your basket is not convenient at all, too small, not accessible for a 3 year old... Ok let's try something else.

I make mistakes and I am learning too, every day, and my daughter is showing me the way if I take the time to watch her.

Wow, what a beautiful, well-organized Montessori home space! Thank you, Sophie, for sharing your thoughts and ideas with us. What an inspiration!

Who We Are: Cecilia Prandi and Harold Hopwood

As part of a series we’re calling Who We Are, we’re working to build and connect our community by interviewing the talented, dynamic parents and staff who make up the people of Villa di Maria. Today, we meet new-to-St. Louis Cecilia Prandi and Harold Hopwood, and their daughters Victoria and Helena. Below, they share their International roots and what they hope to find in the Montessori community. Enjoy!Villa di Maria: Tell us a bit about your family.Cecilia Prandi: My husband Harold is Dutch, and was raised in Argentina. I was born and raised in Argentina. We moved to the United States in 2008, so we are very close to celebrating ten years in the U.S.! We first lived in Tennessee, where Victoria was born five years ago, then we moved to Miami, where Helena was born three years ago. We're not planning to have a baby in Saint Louis!

VdM: Can you tell us about your background and education?

CP: Harold is an engineer and just finished an EMBA at Kellogg. His job brought us to Saint Louis; we've only been here for about a month. I studied Fine Arts and Stage Design.

VdM: Do you have any hobbies? How do you and your family enjoy spending your spare time?CP: These days we enjoy exploring the city and seeing new places - especially restaurants, parks, and museums.VdM: How were you introduced to Montessori?CP: While living in Miami, Victoria was attending a Montessori school so we are pretty familiar with the methodology. We wanted to continue with that type of education and make it the same for Helena. This will be her first year; she did a shy summer camp test and ended up doing very well so we are confident she will do great at VdM.VdM: What are you looking forward to most this school year?CP: For this school year, we want our girls to learn a lot and to have many many happy experiences!Welcome, Prandi-Hopwood family! We are so happy to get to know you a bit better, and we're thrilled to have you here with us! 

A Tribute to Robyn Milos

Robyn Milos, former student, Primary Directress, and Director of Education at Villa di Maria (which she has consistently called "The Best Place on Earth"), is moving on to a leadership role as Executive Director at the Montessori Training Center of St. Louis, where the first AMI Elementary Montessori Teacher training course in St. Louis will be enhanced by an Elementary Lab School starting in the fall of 2018. While we are all sad to see Robyn go, she will still occasionally be seen around campus; her youngest son, Ollie, still attends VdM. Robyn will also be adding a tremendous amount to the community through her attendance on the Board of Trustees at VdM. Her last 15 years at Villa have been significant; in putting together this post, I encountered an outpouring of love and respect from her colleagues, friends, and all those who know and love her (and there are many - too many to represent in one blog post!)... but here is my humble attempt.

To say that Robyn has largely made Villa di Maria what it is today would be a vast understatement. From the relationships she has built through patience, trust, graciousness, and gentle words with countless children, parents, and staff, to her nudging our very own Head of School to take the position she currently holds, Robyn has been there, sometimes in the background, but always there, through thick and thin, to move us all forward.

Below, Head of School Laura Ceretti-Michelman's touching and vulnerable account of her family's strong relationship with Robyn over the years:

"Ben Michelman entered Robyn's Children's House when he was 3.2 years old.  We welcomed Natalie to our family in September 2008 and in January 2009, Ben shook Robyn's hand for the first of many times.  It didn't take long for the Michelman family to become raving Robyn Milos fans.  Of course, Robyn had her sights on our baby and always took the time to 'chat' with Natalie to get her ready for the big day when she would join P2.  

Robyn was patient with me as a parent as she watched me do all the wrong things.  I carried my son, a child who was very capable of walking, to and from the classroom.  I carried his things for him.  If I saw him struggling to accomplish a task, I swooped in and said "Oh Ben, that is too hard, let me help."  I am not proud of these things but Robyn never once called me out, she didn't judge.  Instead, she kindly helped me understand fundamental Montessori tenets and then she would wait and see if the message really sunk in.  Would I change my actions?  And of course, with her very subtle coaching, I did.  

Robyn is the reason I work at Villa di Maria.  When the Head of School position became available, Robyn reached out to me immediately.  When I answered the phone she said, 'Are you thinking what I am thinking?'  I had no idea what she was thinking.  When she shared what she was thinking - that a new training session would be starting in St. Louis that summer, that I had business experience, that I loved the school and that I should apply for the position - I nearly choked.  

I was an in-house attorney for a local company.  The thought of applying for the position had not crossed my mind.  However, after Robyn planted the seed, I couldn't stop thinking about serving Villa di Maria.  I was energized and excited and with great audacity, I applied for the position.  I wasn't exactly a traditional candidate for the position and by the time the board called me for an interview, I was stunned because I was certain that they had written me off.  But Robyn was always in the background encouraging me.  Eventually, the board offered me the job and Robyn, who intuitively knows what to do in almost any situation, started talking about Montessori to me all the time.  And thank goodness she did because I had to give a tour before my training started and I am pretty sure I used every single word Robyn ever said to me during that tour (you can ask Ruth Reese... she was my first tour).  

Robyn has seen Villa through ups and downs and her devotion to the children, the school, and Montessori is immeasurable and knows no limit.  Robyn is a humble learner with deep intelligence and a very open mind. She thinks, she thinks, and then she thinks some more, and she always brings a valuable perspective to the conversation.  She has more common sense than most people, and she has enough positive energy to overcome a sea of pessimists.  She really makes everything better.  Her work ethic is unparalleled as is her integrity.  Robyn has been a great asset to Villa di Maria (and will continue to be as a board member) and she has been a great friend (and will continue to be).

I will miss Robyn because, for me, she has been and is Villa di Maria (which in her words is the greatest place on Earth).  I am grateful for her dedication to Pearl's pearls - VdM and The Montessori Training Center of St. Louis.  Robyn is the perfect steward of Pearl's and Dr. Annette Haines' legacies.  I am also just generally grateful for Robyn."

 Indeed, many staff at Villa di Maria have expressed their love for Robyn and her true Montessori spirit. Below, Anna Schwind, Lower Elementary Directress, shares her memories:

"I have never met any given person who so thoroughly embodies the spirit of Maria Montessori as Robyn Milos.  She not only has vast intellectual understanding of Montessori, is not only thoroughly steeped in the pedagogy, but she also has a remarkable inherent intuition for the method and for the best thing to do with each child.  She gets it on an internal level that I have rarely encountered and so deeply admire.  She is a gift and inspiration to the Montessori community.  I feel, as the cliché often goes, blessed to know her.  There are all sorts of reasons that people do a given work, and I do not necessarily believe that the work of the moment or of convenience is innately inferior to work carried out by calling or vocation, but Robyn absolutely makes manifest the importance of work undertaken as one's cosmic task.

Her loyalty and dedication to Villa have also been unsurpassed in my experience.  It hardly seems possible that she is leaving us, so steadfast and consistent a present has she been for so long. I am grateful for this evolution of her, because I think she has the skillset and capacity to open up Montessori for more children, but it's strange unforeseen territory where Robyn is not a fixture at Villa.

She has such tremendous personal integrity and always, always proves with her actions the work of her words.  Children sense this and are drawn to it.

 

She possesses a gentleness and compassion that are that hallmark of Montessori children come to adulthood.  She so easily and empathetically hears others, their point of view, the difficulties they are having and offers solutions in such a low key and non-threatening way. She has a gift for constructive criticism.  She understands that we work collaboratively to solve problems, even the ones in our own self.

 

On one occasion, I was just feeling my way to teaching Spanish at Villa, in both primary and elementary environments, a couple of times a week.  I had taken stock of the materials, and I set out to make a set of three part cards for colors in Spanish.  I will freely admit I had no idea what I was doing, but I can follow a model and there's no shortage of three part cards in a Montessori environment to use as a guide.  Once I had made them and showed them to Robyn, she asked me if I would like to know how they are used in the environment.  I jumped at the chance.  We sat down with a rug and she gave me a lesson on three-part cards.  My first Montessori lesson, my very own mini-Silent Journey.  I understood in that moment what it would have been like to be a child in this Children's House, getting a lesson from Robyn, stepping into my own experience of learning.  I was hooked.  It would take me a long time to come around to getting my training and to begin teaching, but she certainly opened the way, as she does: inviting, encouraging but without pressure, knowing that all things unfold in their own time."

Cristina Kerr sends Robyn this sweet, heartfelt message:

"The two years I got to be your assistant in P2 flew by very fast...too fast I dare to say. Now that you started your new journey, you will continue to influence and guide so many more people. You were meant for this and I wish you all the luck!"

From Upper Elementary Guide Rebecca Callander:

"To me, Robyn has personified the heart of Montessori. I will never forget how full of life and love her classroom environment felt when I cared for the classroom hermit crabs over winter break my first year at Villa. The environment was so well prepared!   

Robyn's incredible patience and ability to always find the right words at the right time has been inspirational. Her dedication to Montessori and to Villa di Maria, whether it be through her lengthy tenure as a directress, through her lengthy daily commute -how many miles of travel, how many inches of rubber laid upon the highway - or her countless hours as an assistant to Dr. Haines at the Montessori Training Center St. Louis, set the high mark for everyone and will be a part of our school's legacy!"

From Primary Directress Reghan McAuley:"Robyn Milos is my touchstone. She is the original source of inspiration which lead me to take the Montessori journey both spiritually and professionally. Robyn has been and will continue to be a highly respected mentor as I develop and grow in Montessori. As always, I know she is reliably only a phone call away to dig in deep or bounce around Montessori Theory. Robyn’s clarity and passion for the natural development of all young human beings is undoubtedly a gift to all. From one Primary Directress to another, I’d selfishly really like to say, “That’s not the job I was thinking of.”As I feel Robyn leaves a hole at Villa that saddens me, I know in my heart she remains a strong and important presence in the community that is linked by the greater Montessori community of Saint Louis, her family, her children and even her first grandchild. Today, Robyn is in the position to lead the Montessori Training Center of Saint Louis into a new journey as well. The power of her passion will certainly make MTC of STL a leader in the worldwide Montessori community. I have no doubt that Dr. Haines would be so incredibly proud. With that I’d like to say congratulations to my dear friend Robyn Milos and always remember: 'Ride the horse in the direction it is going.' (-Ginni Sackett)"P2 Directress Jessie Braud also had much to contribute:"I have only known her for three years, but it is nigh impossible to express in words my admiration for Robyn... she is one of my greatest role models and most influential mentors I’ve ever had. From being one of my many guides throughout my summers of Montessori training under Dr. Haines, to being my trusty training wheels throughout my first year as a directress, she has been there for me, not just as a mentor but as a friend. And perhaps she will find this as hilarious as I do, but as a marker of how her greatly her wisdom has had an impact on me, her voice is one of my Montessori 'voices in my head.' Sounds crazy, but it’s true!Honestly, her impact has been so great on my life, I wouldn’t be here today if not for her: she was the person that brought me to Villa di Maria! After my first choice in student teaching fell through, I asked (...maybe I begged?) her if she would be so kind as to take yet another trainee under her wing, and luckily she said yes! It was just a few weeks of watching her with the children, of asking her any and all questions, and of being in the Best Place on Earth, but I fell in love with Villa fast... I’ll never forget the ache when leaving, thinking that I would never come back - who in their right mind could ever leave such a wonderful place?! As such, it was one of the greatest surprises and honors of my life when Robyn asked me to take over her classroom. Her support throughout my first year was... immeasurable! And while she may not be with us as she was before, and while her hands are so very busy directly impacting so many amazing things beyond our school now, I feel deeply that her support of me, of my work, and of my Montessori journey is unshakeable - a wondrous thing, truly.It is hard not to be reminded of her absence, especially when I am spending each day in the place she loved the very most. Her heart will always, always be in our Children’s House, but it is so reassuring to know that the legacies of Dr. Haines, of Mrs. Vanderwall, and of Dr. Montessori will live on so loudly and proudly through Robyn’s work at MTC. There is truly no better person to tackle such an awesome, amazing thing! Mine is but one life of the hundreds that have been changed because of Robyn’s passion and dedication to Montessori. I am forever thankful."A heartfelt message that goes way back: Lower Elementary Directress Megan Eilers:"I can't recall when I first met Robyn, but for as long as I have been working at the camp and school, she has always been a part of Villa di Maria life. Robyn and I share the unique experience of having both attended and taught at VdM, so in many ways we have bonded over the fact that VdM is like a second home to us both. We care deeply about the school and the children, but it was Robyn who really opened my eyes to becoming an educator in a Montessori classroom.While I was in grad school, pursuing a degree in traditional education, I was required to observe in a variety of educational settings. Naturally, I picked VdM and Robyn welcomed me in to observe her classroom. Although the classroom, materials, and lessons were all familiar to me, it was something completely different to witness the children work in Robyn's classroom. She has a sleek and seamless style of implementing and talking about Montessori in the most captivating way. Watching Robyn in a classroom is like watching an artist paint a masterpiece. She knows every paint color and every tool to use to create something beautiful. I actually dug out my observation notebook from that time and found some of the notes I wrote about Robyn and my experience in her class:'She knows every child, she anticipates every need, she knows the delicate balance of when to intervene and when to step back, she always uses clear and consistent language, her lessons are presented carefully, intentionally, and delicately, and she knows how to connect every child to meaningful work.'  I always knew I was witnessing something special in her classroom and I aspired to be an educator like Robyn. As I got deeper into my studies and was developing my own personal philosophy on education, I took a job in administration at VdM and found myself constantly picking Robyn's brain for information about Montessori. Ultimately, I have Robyn to thank for persuading me to pursue Montessori education further and to become a guide. After completing my training and returning to VdM to start my first year as a teacher, I entered the year both excited and nervous. Although all new teachers are told that the first year is difficult, you truly don't know what that means until you experience if for yourself. But with Robyn as the Director of Education, I felt like I had the ultimate resource and support system behind me. With Robyn's guidance, support, and reassurance, I made it through my first year of teaching. I will be forever grateful to Robyn for being the dependable shoulder I could lean on whenever I needed help. Although Robyn is no longer officially working at VdM, she will always have a place here at her home away from home. Robyn, thank you for being my inspiration, my personal Montessori guru, my mentor, and my friend. You will do amazing things for the Montessori community!Assistant Jess Jente had this to say:"Robyn trusted me with one of her most important persons- Ollie- when I first started. I'm sure that was terrifying for her, an amazing Montessorian, to trust someone who had little experience so far in the Montessori would with her wonderful Ollie. I'm so thankful she gave me a chance because I ended up learning so much from her as a parent and a coworker. I know she's off to do great things but she will surely be missed around Villa."Lower Elementary Assistant Sophie Andre wrote this beautiful poetic tribute about who Robyn is, through and through:

Robyn is this person who is always available to listen to you and give you advice.

Robyn is this person who tells you that even if she does not have an answer she will think about it.

Robyn is this person that makes you keep thinking about your conversation, even several days after.

Robyn is this person truly happy for you when something good happens to you.

Robyn is this person who seems to deeply care about what you tell her and about your life in general.

Robyn is this person always smiling and always kind.

Robyn is this person who looks like a strong rock and a light house.

Robyn is this person we love and respect.

Robyn is this person we are going to miss every day...

...very much.

And Melinda Smith, Assistant in Lower Elementary, shares her thoughts:

"I met Robyn not first as a colleague but as a parent. Villa was recommended to me by a friend - but not just Villa, Robyn. Robyn has a very welcoming spirit, her enthusiasm to teach not just the children but also the parents won me over. 

Last year, although too short of a time, we became coworkers, yearbook buddies and friends. She has been beyond supportive of my role as an assistant. I used to be terrified when she came to observe the classroom. I thought she would see through me and how unsure of myself I was, but she did nothing but build up my confidence and make me feel like I was in the right place. She encourages me even now. I only wish I had more time with her as a mentor. Thank you Robyn, for welcoming me into your first home!! The Lab School is very lucky to have you!"

And last, but certainly not least, Heather Steinman's touching tribute to her dearest friend:

I met Robyn in 2003 at the school picnic at Villa di Maria. She was going to be the new teacher in one of the primary environments and had come to meet everyone. She was so friendly, and smiley, and well... she was Robyn. The thing that caught my attention right away more than anything else was the way she spoke to my children. She spoke to them like I did, like they were people. People with real ideas and things to say even though they were "just" four and two years old. She shook their hands, she looked them in the eye and she waited for them to respond, she respected them.One year later I found myself working as the assistant in Robyn's classroom, completely clueless as to what I was supposed to do, or maybe even more importantly not do! She never really told me what to do! I mean there were some guidelines, but she gave me the respect and patience that she so beautifully gave to all of the children and she let me figure it out. Don't get me wrong, if I asked her about something specifically she would tell me the answer, or more likely help me get to the answer myself. Mostly though, she led by example and I followed. Over the next five years we worked together and she became my mentor, and even more importantly my friend. I learned more in those five years than I can possibly share but I can tell you I learned it all from Robyn. On my journey through the world of Montessori, Robyn has been a constant guide. On my journey through life in general, she has been a fierce (meant in the most positive of ways) and loyal friend. I am honored to know her, I am so proud of her, I can't wait to see what she does next.Congratulations on this new journey of yours my friend, I'll be learning and following from afar ?

Robyn, clearly you will be missed, but we all rally behind you and know you will do incredible things at the Lab School, and for the Montessori community in general. We all wish you the best of luck!

Don't Miss it! Why the Children's House Parent Education Night Matters

This Wednesday evening marks the first of many Parent Education nights for the Children's House (all three of our Primary classrooms). If you are a parent of a current primary VdM child, you should't miss this! Here's why.All Children’s House parents should have received an email regarding this week’s talks directly from the Directress leading their Parent-Ed group. Please be sure to check your inboxes, mark your calendars and plan to attend—the Directresses are going to share some pretty fantastic information. Mrs. Steinman will present “Bringing Montessori Home;” Mrs. McAuley will present “Function of Words: Grammar Comes to Life;” and Ms. Braud will present “The Path to Reading.”Although this is a time to get to know other parents, to check out your child's classroom a bit, and to have an opportunity to speak with your child's Guide directly, the number one reason to attend these Parent Education nights is that it can help your child by educating you further in the Montessori method.In Head of School Laura Ceretti-Michelman's words: "Once a parent begins to understand the Montessori theory and approach, they become more conscious in their support of their child's development in a manner consistent with the approach.  That consistency is ideal for the child."Please check your email and make attending Children's House Parent Education Night a priority. We hope to see you there!

Primary Tour: P3's New Space

Heather Steinman, Directress of Primary 3 class here at Villa, has rolled with so many punches over the past year: taking up temporary residence in a doublewide trailer that served as her classroom for the 2016-2017 school year (and no, she did not live there, but with the amount of time these dedicated Guides and Assistants commit to leading children and their parents down the path of Montessori, she may as well have), going through a personal family move over the summer, parenting teenagers alongside a toddler, and moving her classroom into a new space for this school year. Through all of this, Heather has remained good-natured and has kept her sense of humor. She and Assistant Karolina Hanus put together a lovely Primary space in what used to be Megan Eilers' Lower Elementary classroom. Check out the beautiful, light-filled space below. "We are still adapting to the space," Heather admits, "but so far it's been great." Heather shares that all the natural light that streams through the windows, particularly in the morning, makes the space extra special. She has filled the space with plants, softening the open spaces and making it a calm, inviting place to work.

On this particular visit, the curtains above were softly blowing in the breeze, as both doors remained open to let fresh air flow through the space

"It's not as organized as it should be," Heather shared, "because we still have a lot of children still learning to clean up. But we're getting there!" As it was only halfway through the second week of school when these photos were taken, I'd say they're doing great!

Every corner is thoughtfully prepared and a feast for the eyes!

Thank you, Heather, for inviting us into your new classroom. You have done a wonderful job, and we know the children are enjoying their new space!

The Great Lessons

"No matter what we touch, an atom, or a cell, we cannot explain it without knowledge of the wide universe.  What better answer can be given to those seekers for knowledge?  It becomes doubtful whether even the universe will suffice.  How did it come into being?  How will it end?  A greater curiosity arises, which can never be satiated; so will last through a lifetime.  The laws governing the universe can be made interesting and wonderful to the child, more interesting even than things in themselves, and he begins to ask:  What am I?  What is the task of man in this wonderful universe?  Do we merely live here for ourselves, or is there something more for us to do?  Why do we struggle and fight?  What is good and evil?  Where will it all end? ... Since it has been seen to be necessary to give so much to the child, let us give him a vision of the whole universe.  The universe is an imposing reality, and an answer to all questions." (from To Educate the Human Potential, by Dr. Maria Montessori) The Great Lessons, below.During the first week of school, the Lower and Upper Elementary Directresses start with a BANG! - quite literally. Here, Lower Elementary Directress Anna Schwind explains the magic - and the methodology - behind the Great Lessons."The Great Lessons are designed to appeal to the imagination and interests of the second plane child.  They are meant to be broad in scope and throw out a variety of ideas for the students to pursue.  They begin as far back as possible.  They cover vast ideas and expansive periods of time. Instead of starting with a small concept or idea and widening that, the Great Lessons lay out the organizing structures of our universe.  They create the framework into which the children can place all the other knowledge they acquire.""The first Great Lesson [shown here] reveals the creation of the universe and our planet, and it sets the stage for all that comes afterward.  It creates anticipation for what will come next: life.  It places us precisely within the universe, on our small planet, in our solar system with its medium sized star, the only place where we've discovered life so far. While facts are presented in the great lesson: such as the existence of laws for differing states of matter, and the speed of light as the fastest thing we know of, it is not primarily concerned with facts.  The second plane child, the elementary child, now uses their imagination to acquire knowledge and the Great Lessons are meant to stimulate that imagination.""If the idea of the universe be presented to the child in the right way, it will do more for him than just arouse his interest, for it will create in him admiration and wonder, a feeling loftier than any interest and more satisfying.  The child’s mind will then no longer wander, but becomes fixed and can work.  The knowledge he acquires is organized and systematic; his intelligence becomes whole and complete because of the vision of the whole that has been presented to him, and his interest spreads to all, for all are linked and have their place in the universe on which his mind is centred." (To Educate the Human Potential)"Think about the darkest thing you know, the guide will ask, and then realize that at the beginning it was darker even than that.  Think about the coldest thing you've experienced, the guide will say, and then know that it was colder even than that.  And so, the story progresses.  From the littlest microscopic particles to the immensity of the entire universe are presented in one sitting.  The Great Lessons will also include impressionistic and fanciful charts, stories with personification, allegories and narrative elements meant to appeal to the imagination and generate interest.""Our aim is to give them a sense of the whole universe, to spur a sense of admiration and wonder.  The Great Lessons also provide a sense of perspective, showing that our sun is much larger than our Earth, showing that for billions of years no people existed, showing that the laws particles had to follow when time began are still the laws that particles must follow today.""One more idea presented in the lessons: we are here because it's our time to be here.  We could not have survived during the Ordovician, or during the Big Bang.  We will not live past the heat death of our own star but this time - now - is our time."Thank you, Anna, for taking the time to write so eloquently about the Great Lessons; you truly have a knack for giving us the good kind of shivers! 

Who We Are: Charmin Dahl & Allison Davis

As part of a series we’re calling Who We Are, we’re working to build and connect our community by interviewing the talented, dynamic parents and staff who make up the people of Villa di Maria. Today, we meet Charmin Dahl and Allison Davis and their daughter Emerson, who just joined the 5th years with Rebecca, Justin, and Colleen in Upper El. Enjoy the interview below!Villa di Maria: Tell us a bit about your family.Charmin Dahl: We moved here from Las Vegas, NV.  Allison is a surgeon and took a job with SSM Health, which is what brought us to St. Louis.  Emerson will be going into 5th grade.  She started Montessori as a Primary student.  Emerson has a passion for writing and does aerial gymnastics (on the silks).In addition to various freelance projects, I am the curator for the Paly Foundation. http://palyfoundation.org/https://www.facebook.com/PalyFoundation/

Paly Foundation makes conservation-themed exhibits to loan to zoos, aquariums, museums and other facilities.  I'm happy to help you write a whole other blog post about it!  Between last year and this year, we will be seen by more than 3 million people in almost 20 states around the country.  I have been fortunate enough to take each exhibit to Emerson's previous school to share with the Lower Elementary/Adolescent classrooms and hope to get to do that here as well.

VdM: Do you have any hobbies? How do you and your family enjoy spending your spare time?

CD: As a family, we enjoy traveling, sight seeing, and cultural events.  We are avid bird watchers.  We are board game junkies and actually cheered when we beat "Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle."  Other favorite games right now include "Kodama: The Tree Spirits," "Qwixx," "King of Tokyo," while Telestrations remains an all-time favorite.

Hobbies:

Charmin - Performer, writer, teacher -- improvisation & sketch comedy

Allison - Sports fan and video gamer

Emerson - Audiobook fan and coding/Legos/robots and theater

VdM: How were you introduced to Montessori?

CD: Allison and I lived in Portland, OR to attend college (we both are from "all over").  Allison was the nanny for a coworker of mine (I was working at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry).  The parents of her charge put him in a Montessori school (Child Peace).  When we lived in Phoenix, AZ, we put Emerson in the Montessori school near our house (Aldea).  While visiting the school, we asked the headmistress Donna about "student:teacher ratio" and other questions we thought we were supposed to ask.  She explained that the Montessori classroom has what's considered a high student:teacher ratio but explained why:

"In a non-Montessori classroom, there is typically one teacher who controls thirty students.  In a Montessori classroom, there are thirty students controlling themselves."

We were hooked.  We felt Montessori was a good fit for Emerson because she enjoyed "working it out" for herself.  Since then, she has thrived in the multiple-aged classroom and enjoys inquiry-based learning.

VdM: What are you looking forward to most this school year?

CD: We are looking forward to settling into our new community and meeting people.  Emerson is excited about her gorgeous classroom and getting to know her classmates.  She spent about 1/2 day in the Upper El classroom last spring (at the Sculpture Garden) and is excited to see everyone again.

Welcome, Charmin, Allison, and Emerson, to the Villa di Maria community! We are thrilled to have you!  

Reading

Welcome to the second week of school! We hope you enjoyed the long holiday weekend. Don't forget to check your email under last week's Wednesday Notes for this week's upcoming events: the Parent Association meeting on Thursday and Coffee in the Cabin on Friday. We'd love to have extra parents involved this year, especially as we have added plenty of new families to our community. For now, enjoy the photos of our Lower Elementary students making the most of their cozy reading nook. 

One became two...

... became three...

... became four!

We are so grateful for this beautiful space, and obviously our children are too!

First Days of School

The first few days of the 2017-2018 school year have been a huge success! On the first day, the campus was calm and orderly. Other than a huge branch that had fallen the previous night, damaging the pool fence, everything went off without a hitch. We'll take that as good luck! Below, some photos from the first few days of school. Enjoy, and welcome back. We are so happy to have you!Primary children were greeted with smiles and enthusiasm by Primary Directresses, while parents gave quick hugs and kisses goodbye at the door.Many Primary students took immediate advantage of the beautiful weather by choosing to work in the outdoor environment while the rest of their friends arrived.Most of them picked up right where they had left off last school year! Perhaps they had been planning what work they would choose before they even set foot inside the classroom. Amazing how these eager little ones are so motivated by their materials!Old friends met up to walk together to their new environment: Lower Elementary! Some were more nervous than others...

Sisters were reunited and found themselves in the same building once again!

The location for recess has changed; while children are able to roam the school grounds more freely when compared to last year's construction constraints, most Elementary and Upper Elementary children congregate in the Magic Circle for games like banana tag (which, according to Mr. Jeremy, can go on forever and ever...).

Time to line up, according to the triangle

We've been lucky to have beautiful weather this first week of school. If your child comes home with the smell of wind in her hair, it's because much of the day is spent outdoors, working in the beautiful new outdoor environments.As is tradition, the Great Lesson was given this first week of school. There are plenty more pictures and a full blog post coming up to highlight this very special storytelling lesson, so be sure to check back for that!Happy first week of school, Villa di Maria. We couldn't have kicked it off to a better start if we tried!

Who We Are: Amanda and Paul Hennekes

We're so happy to be back at Villa, and even more excited to introduce plenty of new faces around campus. We will do our best to encourage these new families to let us share a bit about themselves; be sure to say hello if you see them around! First up: the globe-trotting Hennekes family. Their oldest daughter Charlotte starts Primary this year. Read the interview below.

Amanda and Charlotte in Norway

Villa di Maria: Welcome! Tell us a bit about your family.Amanda Hennekes: Paul and I met through a mutual friend in St Louis in 2005, when I had moved to the city to begin the physical therapy program at Washington University. We have moved around a bit, most notably to Cambridgeshire, England for Paul's job from 2015-2017. We returned to St Louis in late May and moved back into our home in University City. Charlotte was born in December 2013, and we just added to our family with the birth of Eleanor ("Ellie") at the end of July.VdM: Can you tell us about your background and education?AH: I grew up mostly in Mobile, Alabama. I attended Davidson College for my undergraduate degree, then obtained a doctorate in physical therapy from Wash U.  Paul grew up mostly in Edwardsville, IL and later Chesterfield, MO. He went to DeSmet, then received his undergraduate and master's degrees from Loyola University (Chicago).VdM: What do you do career-wise?AH: I have worked primarily as a PT in inpatient rehabilitation hospitals, but took the last couple of years to stay home with Charlotte while we were living in England. I have also enjoyed doing lab assisting for physical therapy students in the past. I am planning to start working again later this fall, once Ellie is a few months old. Paul works as an analyst for the Department of Defense.

Charlotte with her new baby sister, Ellie

VdM: Do you have any hobbies? How do you and your family enjoy spending your spare time?

AH: We really embraced our love of travel while we were living in England. Once you get across the ocean, travel in Europe is very inexpensive compared to travel within the U.S., so we made it our mission to make the most of it despite having a toddler. Charlotte has actually been on 60 flights already - she is a pro at security and passport control lines! We enjoy discussing travel spots and planning trips. I actually kept a blog myself about our travels - it is not quite complete (still working on posts about our springtime travels), but if anyone is interested you can read about our travels in 2015-2017 at hennekesfamily.blogspot.com .

Otherwise, Paul and I both enjoy reading and board games, visiting with friends and family, and trying new restaurants.  Charlotte hasn't met many playgrounds she doesn't like, and loves to swim! Ellie seems to enjoy eating, cuddling, and sleeping so far :)

VdM: How were you introduced to Montessori?

AH: I attended two years of Montessori when I was 4-6 years old in Alabama. My mom just retired from her teaching career, which included AMI certification and 25 years as a co-directress of Children's House classrooms and a brief stint with 6-9 year olds - so I am well acquainted with various aspects of Montessori. Entering the classrooms at Villa di Maria feels so comfortable and familiar - I can't wait to watch Charlotte learn and grow with all the same educational materials that I did. Paul is new to Montessori but he shares in the excitement as well.

VdM: What are you looking forward to most this school year?

AH: We are looking forward to seeing Charlotte develop and make new friends, and getting to know other parents and families ourselves!

What a delight! Thank you, Amanda and Paul, for introducing yourselves and giving us a glimpse into your lives. We are so happy that you have joined our community! 

Geometry in Nature: the Fibonacci Sequence

Dr. Montessori noticed early on that children are instinctively attracted to geometry, in large part because everything in the natural world is geometric. As the child adapts to her world, she takes in impressions that are geometric. All natural symmetries are multiples of 2, 3, or 5. The same mathematical patterns or forms are repeated again and again; there is a logarithmic spiral at the tip of a fern leaf, which is the same spiral that is seen in a sea shell. The child observes such patterns around her from birth. In this way, these shapes are already a part of the child's unconscious mind, and thus attract her attention naturally. Below, how the Fibonacci Sequence presents itself in nature, and how it all relates to Montessori.

How amazing are the similarities between a plant (top) and an animal (above)?!

The Fibonacci sequence contains the numbers found in an integer sequence, wherein every number after the first two is the sum of the preceding two:1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, ...Their constant appearance in nature - such as branching in trees, the arrangement of leaves on a stem, the bracts of a pinecone, or the unfurling of a fern - make them a readily available math resource for young children. For parents with young children, a fun activity to do is to observe the spiraling seeds on the head of a sunflower or to count the petals on a daisy to see if they add up to a Fibonacci number (many sunflowers contain the number 89, or in some cases, 144). Or gaze into the center of a rose before it opens completely to observe the petals arranged in an elegant spiral shape.Seed heads and flower heads often use arrangements that are based on Fibonacci numbers because, as it turns out, that is the most efficient way of packing seeds, florets, or petals into a round arrangement while still allowing more of the seeds or florets to grow from the middle. Nature is just chock full of mathematics!The Fibonacci sequence can also be see in the world's creatures. The nautilus shell is the most commonly referenced logarithmic spiral, and can best be observed through a cross-section of the shell's inner chambers.

photo credit: gofituremath.org

The seeds of a pinecone twist in opposing Fibonacci spirals, and the interesting romanesco, a vegetable that also contains fractals (when you zoom in on each bump, it is made up of its own spirals, its spirals have spirals, and so on!) is a fantastic example of Fibonacci numbers in nature.

photo credit: gofiguremath.org

Plenty of creatures also contain this fascinating arrangement!

The next time you find yourself out on a nature walk, or even walking through the produce section of your grocery store, be sure to point out the wonder and beauty of Fibonacci to your child!