The Sound and Science of Music at the Sheldon
This spring has been full of fun outings for the Lower and Upper Elementary students at Villa di Maria. In mid-April, the entire Elementary ventured out on an all-day field trip to The Sheldon Concert Hall for their Sound and Science of Music presentation, followed by a picnic in Forest Park.
The Sheldon, named after Walter Sheldon (who founded the St. Louis branch of the Ethical Society), was designed by the noted 1904 World's Fair architect Louis C. Spiering. The Sheldon opened its doors in 1912 as the home of the Ethical Society of St. Louis. The space is quite special, as the acoustics inside the concert hall have been deemed "perfect."
Musicians and music lovers have been enjoying those perfect acoustics for over 100 years. The Sheldon Concert Hall has been called "The Carnegie Hall of the Midwest." Sitting inside the concert hall has been compared to being inside of a perfectly-tuned instrument. It really is a special experience!
The presentation itself, The Sound and Science of Music, answers the questions, "What is sound?" and "How do instruments work?" by revealing the science behind the music all around us. The performers, Dan Rubright, Sandy Weltman, Farshid Soltanshahi & Feyza Eren, were engaging, funny, informative, and talented musicians and educators. They had no trouble holding the attention of an auditorium full of Elementary and Middle School children.
One particularly interesting part of the presentation was the discussion of open and closed air columns in music. For instance, a bottle is an example of a closed air column, as it has only one opening, whereas a straw is an example of an open air column. The students got a kick out of this video, which was shown during the presentation:
Above: a Chinese flute demonstration
The presentation was great, but most of the students' favorite part of the day was the picnic and recess at Forest Park afterward, where they enjoyed the view while eating with friends, then took off down the hill as fast as their legs could carry them!
The children enjoyed running up and rolling down the huge hill, playing tag, and dipping their hands (and hair) into the reflecting pool at the bottom of the hill to cool off.
What is it about children and water?!
Parent, photographer, and chaperone, Jay, who accompanied the children with a cheerful and curious attitude.
Of course, we had to take a goofy group photo near the end of the field trip!
Thank you to The Sheldon, for a wonderful performance, and to the staff and parent volunteers who joined us on our class trip. It was a blast!
Back in February, the Upper Elementary students were treated to a Revolutionary War presentation by Captain Roy Schmid, a Royal Regiment of Artillery. The presentation was impressive, demonstrating the sights, sounds, smells, and even the feeling of carrying a tremendous amount of equipment (as one student discovered). Below, Rebecca Callander, Upper Elementary Directress, describes the students' interest in American history during this past school year.
Our class has been obsessed with American history this year, especially the Revolutionary War and Alexander Hamilton, due to the musical Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Also, many children were passionately following the election cycle and many government-based questions emerged about our country's beginnings: declaration, war, constitution, electoral college. Indeed, Our winter concert focused on the same time period; you wouldn't believe the ridiculous conversations that emerged from that ("bloody footprints in the snow were real--we have to put them on the backdrop." "Sure! Nothing says holiday spirit more than bloody footprints." "They're...red?").
Ultimately, I think that children's underlying sense of justice and fairness fuels their interest in the Revolutionary War. Taxation without representation is a big deal. What's a little tricky is debunking the myth of the war from the facts. It's easy to call Patriots good and England bad, but I needed to constantly remind children of how our role in the conflict can also be challenged and that we did awful things too. Further, not everyone was truly free as a result of the war. And, is it ever justified to use force to get what you want? Lots of big questions discussed.
So, to offer a going-out to the class without going to the East Coast, Mr. Justin enlisted Roy, a Revolutionary War historical re-enactor whom he had met and thought the children would love. Justin, who was impressed by Roy's knowledge of the Revolutionary War and military tactics, met the group at the Greentree Festival back in September and ended up talking to Roy for over an hour. Justin also couldn't believe they had grenade launchers back then! And the rest is history!
They have a 3lb cannon, a 75 caliber musket and a 100 caliber musket that they have attached to a special wagon that Roy built based a set up from that time period. It flips up and has special ports that open which offer protection and stability when firing.They have live fired all of their weapons including the 3lb cannon. Roy says they were doing target practice on milk jugs on top of 50 gallon water barrels at 50 yards. The milk jugs explode and if you hit a water barrel it will flip into the air!Though this did not occur at the presentation in February, Roy did walk the students through the steps of firing a cannon (with only gunpowder, no cannon balls, of course!). His attention to detail and safety were noted.
The students enjoyed trying on some of the jackets and hats, and even some of the equipment that soldiers would have carried with them (a heavy load, to say the least). Last, the students learned to march in formation (not easy):
Mr. Justin marched them all back up the hill afterwards. Quite impressive! Thank you, Justin, for setting this up, and Roy, for bringing his knowledgeable group to share with the Villa di Maria Upper Elementary!
My, what a difference a month makes! In February, the elementary building looked like 
All around, the building is looking a lot closer to how it will look once it is finished.
Since taking these photos, the above playing field has become a lot more green as sod has been rolled out! Progress is moving so quickly, it's hard to keep photos current!Inside, the clean white walls go so well with the warm wood tones of the flooring and cabinets.
Modern lighting hangs from vaulted ceilings and compliments the natural light, high windows, and open floor plans in each classroom. Above: Ms. Megan's Lower Elementary classroom, located on the east side of the building, facing the future playing fields and pool/pool house.
Below: the common room, which will hold couches and chairs and plenty of books.
Above and below: the kitchen, before appliances.
Another view of the common room. 
The common room and hallway leading to Mrs. Schwind's Lower Elementary classroom.
Above: the Upper Elementary classroom, which is located in the center of the building and has north-facing windows. Directress Ms. Rebecca is hoping for a moveable chicken coop right outside the windows!
Above: Mrs. Schwind's Lower Elementary classroom, located on the west side of the building.
Yes, Villa di Maria now has its very own cherry red fire hydrant!
The new pool house and larger area around the pool. The fencing situation will be changing to allow access to bathrooms without entering the main pool area. This will make bathroom trips much easier for Camp Pegnita and for VdM students using the playing field during the school year.
The pavilion is also coming along nicely!
The construction crew is optimistic, eager, and enthusiastic about getting these kids into their new building. We are equally excited to see how it all looks in a month!
Coral, the axolotl (originally left out of this post - Sorry, Coral!)
Aside from being cute and interesting to watch, pets bring a lot to a classroom. Having pets to care for helps teach responsibility, compassion, empathy, and an understanding and respect for other living things. Pets teach children to value life other than their own, in addition to teaching them about the natural growth and life cycles of many different species which they can observe on a daily basis! Another benefit is the stress reduction that occurs as a result of observing and petting the animals, from which both the children and the animals can benefit.
The children at Villa di Maria care for their pets every day, including feeding them and providing them with fresh water, grooming them, and making sure their cages are clean and healthy. Most of this happens with the assistance of the adults in the classroom, of course, to make sure no one gets lost or hurt through over-excited handling. Two- and three-year-olds still need some guidance in how to be gentle, after all!
Especially if a child has no experience at home with pets, exposure to a wide range of animal life in the classroom can benefit a child: from touching, observing, caring for, and making connections to the natural world, to understanding the delicacy and uniqueness of all life.
My experience was not out of the ordinary; the beauty of Montessori materials is often the first thing a new observer to the Montessori classroom notices and comments on. There are rich blue geometric solids, a wide array of brightly colored materials - including the pink tower and the bead frame - and even more natural wood materials, including chairs and shelves in a warm natural wood hue, as well as trays of the same rich tones. Montessori materials are made from natural materials when possible: brass, wood, wicker, cotton, metal, and glass. All of these materials provide a multi-sensory experience for the child, and part of that is the visual appeal that results in a calm, prepared learning environment. The beauty of the Montessori classroom lies both in its simplicity and its thoughtful set-up; each uncluttered space reflects a tranquil, peaceful invitation for learning.
Above: One Hundred Flowers, by Harold Feinstein - a beautiful book from Lower Elementary Directress Anna Schwind's personal collection. Books and materials like these, that highlight the beauty and delicacy of the natural world, draw young learners in and encourage them to respect and take awe in the natural world around them. 
Real glasses, plates, silverware, and utensils not only encourage real work, they are also beautiful all stacked up neatly on the shelves! Imagine the difference if they were plastic sippy cups instead - not only would they be treated less carefully, they would surely contribute to sensory overload! Yes, sometimes these items break, but if nothing ever broke, how would a child learn to treat things with care? Children in the Montessori classroom treasure their materials and learn to treat them with care, especially after the Directress models handling the materials slowly, carefully, and respectfully, former Primary Directress Robyn Milos says, "As if they were made of gold."
Surrounding a child with beauty in his daily life has an incredible impact on his absorbent mind:"The child has a different relation to his environment from ours... the child absorbs it. The things he sees are not just remembered; they form part of his soul. He incarnates in himself all in the world about him that his eyes see and his ears hear." (The Absorbent Mind, p.56)While there is artwork hung in a Montessori classroom (at eye-level for the children, not the adults), it is not overwhelming or distracting. There are not brightly colored alphabet charts, big cartoon animal borders, or bulletin boards filled with reminders and charts. Many walls are bare, except for the occasional piece of artwork or class photo. And for good reason; 
Natural light is also ideal in the Montessori environment. Classrooms are flooded with sunlight streaming in from different directions depending on the time of day, supplemented with the warm glow of lamps placed throughout. It truly is a comfortable, appealing place to be.
They also provide a little privacy! Here, a child reads to himself within the comfy shelter of some big green leaves.
Within the primary and elementary classrooms, there is also the important lesson of caring for the environment. Children are shown how to dust leaves, remove dead leaves, water, and otherwise care for the plants within their classroom. There is also the flower arranging lesson, to be covered in a future blog post. The flowers below were picked from one of Villa di Maria's own fall gardens.
The thought and care that goes into each Montessori classroom continues to amaze and inspire. If you'd like to introduce some plants into your child's home environment, here is a list of easy-to-care for varieties:
From left: conch, Tibetan trumpet, and bull horn
The children gathered outside in some pretty bright November sunshine to listen to the Jostleins talk about the history and use of each horn, followed by a demonstration of the sounds they produce. Also, a good sense of humor is always appreciated!
Two students counted the protrusions on the conch shell to see if they corresponded with a Fibonacci sequence (they do correspond with the golden ratio) and also noted that the inner spiral of a conch is in fact included in the 
… And what a beautiful sound it makes!
The grand finale was the assembly and discussion about the Alphorn, named from the region of the world from where it hails (the Alps). The children enjoyed the BIG sound, and noted that they could feel the vibrations from the Alphorns through the ground where they sat. It was a lovely show on a beautiful November afternoon. The whole afternoon was really special, and the Upper Elementary students have made a big impression on the Third Years!
Thank you, Tricia and Thomas, for taking time out of your day to spend it with us!
Modisakeng was born in Soweto and hails from Cape Town and Johannesburg. In his art, he uses his own image to become a "mediator of the pain" (Art historian Dr. Ruth Simbao) of the difficult, often brutal history of the post-apartheid world of South Africa. In this exhibit, Modisakeng explains to the children what each element in the photographs represents: the axes and machetes linked to the physically demanding plantation work of South Africa, the black hat represents Modisakeng's view of manhood in his culture as well as a nod to self, the horse blinders a representation for looking forward out of oppression, the feet painted white to represent the settlement of white Europeans as they first set foot onto the land of South Africa to colonize.
The Upper Elementary students began with a talk in their classroom about the gravity of Modisakeng's work, as well as a review on South Africa's history of apartheid, then headed over to view the work. The students were reflective and respectful during the viewing and talk. When they sat with Modisakeng to ask questions about his work, they presented him with some wonderful questions and observations.
While some children focused on the feelings they observed in themselves while viewing the work, others asked about the technique and place the photographs were taken, about the objects used in the work, and about Modisakeng's experiences (both physical and emotional) creating the work. Modisakeng did a wonderful job giving voice to his experiences, despite those experiences being challenging and difficult at times.
Modisakeng also took his time allowing each child to ask more questions than he had time allotted! He clearly valued their curiosity and level of engagement. And they also seemed to appreciate the experience. What an honor!
The Upper Elementary had help learning about the traditions from a special guest, Ms. Gloria, who discussed with them the various traditions on the day, including the building of an altar called an ofrenda, which they placed around and on top of the mantle in one of the classrooms. They included beautiful handmade paper flowers (marigolds are the traditional flower used in Mexico's modern holiday), paper cut-outs, sugar skulls, and the favorite foods of the departed, as well as items, photographs, and notes to the children's deceased loved ones.
One student brought a picture of his beloved dog, along with a dog biscuit. Another remembered his grandfather with a photo and a miniature basketball, as this was his favorite sport. Each child had the opportunity to say a bit about their loved one as they place the offering on the mantle.
Candles represent the light needed to guide the spirit back.
One student worked to free plaster of paris skulls he had made over the course of a few days. They turned out great!
As part of the celebration, students took time to decorate in bright, vivid colors, skulls and flowers.
Ms. Gloria brought from a local Mexican bakery an de muerto, ("bread of the dead"), which was a sweet, light egg bread flavored with oranges, sugar, and cinnamon and decorated to represent the bones and skull of the deceased. Some of the children helped her in the kitchen to prepare the traditional Mexican drinking chocolate. It all smelled delicious!
And what celebration would be complete without music? A group of young musicians learned the lyrics to La Calaca Flaca by Oscar Chavesz. The lyrics were, of course, in Spanish. They practiced outside in the beautiful fall weather while the other students prepared decorations and food inside.
As to be expected during the composition of new music to accompany the lyrics, there were disagreements and bumps along the way, but they figured it out just in time!
Mr. Justin did not shy away from helping with the choreography! What a good sport!
The presentation of the music and traditions was lovely, and a wonderful way to foster the Montessori value of global citizenship, during which children begin to identify themselves as being connected to a world community. This exploration into a tradition to which they may not have had previous exposure is one way to cultivate a global and diverse outlook, a sense of personal responsibility, and a respect for humanity.
What is happening here? Coordination with one's own body in addition to coordinating with others' bodies, balance, teamwork, joy, and relaxation all in one!
Imagination, abstract thinking, and a self-imposed time-out: this child was upset and went to be by herself for a few moments. Her friend, standing, checked on her and took a position of protector. They ran off together minutes later. 
Pure joy!
Simply observing children at recess is enough to see the evidence of this complex and important part of a child's day. What an honor to be a fly on the wall! Let those kids play!