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!

Every Child is an Artist: VdM Art Show at Reese Gallery

This past Saturday, Villa di Maria celebrated with an art exhibition, Every Child is an Artist. The quote, inspired by Pablo Picasso's quote, Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up, plays on the Montessori philosophy that children live in a natural state of curiosity and it is at first the process of art that is important. We adults tend to focus more on the finished product than the process, but to a child, it is the learning and the doing that means the most (until the child grows older, of course)! This art show was a great opportunity to present some glimpses into the process (the Primary children's artwork) as well as the more deliberate art that was created by the Lower and Upper Elementary students. It was a wonderful success for our little community!Ruth Reese and Tim Gebauer, Villa di Maria parents, artists, and gallery owners of Reese Gallery, which is located in the colorful Cherokee Arts Neighborhood just off Antique Row, so graciously hosted the opening. They renovated the building after it had been abandoned for more than 20 years, back in 2014. The space is beautiful - from the light-filled front room with finished wood floors, to the cozy second room where refreshments and appetizers were served. Tim's studio is upstairs from the gallery.The Villa di Maria Art Show, which was open from 12 - 4pm on Saturday, drew a great crowd, from staff and students to parents and grandparents and friends! Both Lower and Upper Elementary students took shifts welcoming the guests as they arrived.

Above: guests enjoying the paper mosaics from Megan Eilers' Lower Elementary 

Below: Some beautiful paintings from the Children's House

Above: Mobiles from Anna Schwind's Lower Elementary

Below: Left: Children's House paintings; Right: Framed design work from Anna Schwind's Lower Elementary

Above: A few of the Upper Elementary Photographs (see some of the process here) The Upper Elementary students also prepared artist statements of which they were quite proud!

Ruth Reese's pottery was also for sale, with 100% of all proceeds going back to Villa di Maria. What beautiful work, and such a generous gift! At the top of the display case are a few more Upper Elementary photographs.The Lower Elementary students prepared some delicious food, and Anna Schwind so graciously delivered it to the show (along with Hilary Lord, who filled out the offerings of refreshments and snacks). The food was a hit among all ages!

He did it.

Starting at 2pm, certain Lower Elementary students performed for the crowd. There was a poetry reading, a violin performance, and even a puppet show! The Upper Elementary students also performed later that afternoon.Thank you to all the families who came out to support their children, to the staff who worked so hard behind the scenes (and especially to those who put in extra hours after work), to all the children who put their all into their artwork and performances, and most of all, to Ruth Reese and Tim Gebauer, who not only offered up their space and time, but also did an amazing job hanging all the artwork and welcoming us all into their beautiful gallery. We are such a lucky community!

Gardening for Earth Day

Springtime at Villa di Maria is a very special time indeed! Flowers are blooming everywhere; seedlings have sprouted inside classrooms and reached their long bodies toward the sunny windows; and this past Friday, the Primary children celebrated Earth Day by planting parent-donated flowers, herbs, and vegetables all around campus. The weather leading up to Earth Day was sunny and bright, but on Friday, the clouds rolled in and it rained or drizzled on and off all morning. However, this did not stop the Primary children and Directresses from enjoying their planting. Montessori kids go out in all sorts of weather!

Attempting to pick up tiny spherical broccoli seeds while wearing gardening gloves - no easy task!

Each of the three Primary Directresses guided the children, one by one, or sometimes in small groups, on how to clear away mulch, dig small holes, place the plants (or seeds) into the holes, and cover them gently again. The children were quiet and focused during the course of this enjoyable work, and many watched and waited their turns from doorways or over fences while their friends had their chances to plant.Each child had helped make his or her own t-shirt earlier in the week for this special occasion. They turned out so well!It was heartwarming to observe the care with which each child handled the plants. After observing their Directresses use gentle hands and words, they took note and did the same. It was a good reminder of the extension of caring for living things that happens in the Montessori classroom; caring for plants can play a huge role in helping children develop empathy for others.Gardening can teach a child about living things: not only that plants have needs, but that these needs are different from their own, deserve to be respected, and that every child can play a role in helping meet these needs. With great power comes great responsibility! Look at those gentle hands...Ms. Braud's class, who managed to squeeze together for a quick group shot after planting. My how they've grown over this past school year!Be sure to look around the school grounds for all the new pops of color. These wonderful people worked pretty hard. Happy Earth Day!

Why Your Kids Should do Chores

At Villa di Maria, and other Montessori schools across the world, care of the environment is an important, integral part of the classroom experience. Children quickly learn to tidy up after themselves, whether it is after eating snack, accidentally spilling water, or finishing a lesson that needs to be returned to the shelf for the next friend to use. The elementary-aged children contribute to the tidiness of the classroom with their daily jobs, which they complete toward the end of every school day. Now, new research shows that children who grow up doing chores are more successful as adults. Here's why chores are important. A University of Minnesota analysis of data collected over a 20-year period found that "the best predictor of success in young adulthood, on measures related to education completion, career path, and personal relationships, was whether they had begun doing chores at an early age — as young as 3 or 4." (Boston Globe, 2015) Making chores a part of the daily routine for children of all ages can help them manage their time, a real-world skill that they will need throughout their adult lives both in the workplace and at home. Julie Lythcott-Haims, former dean of freshmen and undergraduate advising at Stanford University, argues household chores help kids build responsibility, autonomy, and perseverance — traits necessary to becoming capable adults. Pitching in at home (and at school) can lead to the mindset that it is important to pitch in in other settings.Below: the 15-minute TED Talk by Julie Lythcott-Haims about how to raise successful kids (without over-parenting). She brings up the topic of chores at around 8 minutes, 45 seconds into the talk. Enjoy!Thank you, Maria Montessori, for seeing, so long ago, the importance of responsibility, autonomy, and community-mindedness."Among the revelations the child has brought us, there is one of fundamental importance, the phenomenon of normalisation through work. Thousands and thousands of experiences among children of every race enable us to state that this phenomenon is the most certain datum verified in psychology or education. It is certain that the child's attitude towards work represents a vital instinct; for without work his personality cannot organise itself and deviates from the normal lines of its construction. Man builds himself through working. Nothing can take the place of work, neither physical well-being nor affection, and, on the other hand, deviations cannot be corrected by either punishment or example. Man builds himself through working, working with his hands, but using his hands as the instruments of his ego, the organ of his individual mind and will, which shapes its own existence face to face with its environment. The child's instinct confirms the fact that work is an inherent tendency in human nature; it is the characteristic instinct of the human race."                  -Dr. Maria Montessori, The Secret of Childhood

Lower Elementary Art Show Preparation

Yesterday, we visited the Upper Elementary boys on their photo hike; today, we visit the Lower Elementary students, who are all working hard on their art projects for the upcoming student art show. Below, a peek into their preparations for this weekend's show!Ms. Megan's room is working on mosaics. Some are made from scraps of paper, while others are made from beans and legumes. Above are examples of the art form, not actual submissions to the art show.Part of the fun of working with dried beans and legumes is the sensory experience they provide!It was so quiet in both classrooms during this work, one could hear a pin drop!Mrs. Schwind's room is working on a couple of different projects involving design work.Ms. Melinda worked with the children on their design work using metal insets...... while Anna worked with children on geometric forms made from paper.We're all anxious for the art show after seeing how much work these children are putting into their pieces. What a fun project!

Upper Elementary Photo Hike

In preparation for the upcoming student art show, the Upper Elementary students have working hard to find their perfect photographs. Last week, the students split into boy-girl groups due to a scheduling conflict. Below, photos from the boys' group photo hike. Enjoy!Eric Nemens, Lucca and Enzo's father (who also happens to be a professional photographer) lead the walk and offered up some useful tips on taking photos of the artwork and nature, both with cameras and smartphones. Thank you, Eric, for taking the time to guide the students; we think they got some great shots!We can't wait to see how their photos turned out - stay tuned for a sneak peak into the Lower Elementary's art project work tomorrow!

Revolutionary War Presentation: Upper Elementary

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!

"The 1st Royal Regiment of Foot" are an infantry and royal artillery regiment, which is based on a regiment during the French and Indian War. They liked the look of the uniforms but wanted to depict a group that was still fighting with colonists, not against them (although historically the regiment did fight in the Revolutionary War).

They used to do presentations 2 - 3 times per month but have cut down quite a bit because of the cost of traveling and members retiring due to health. They used to have 30 members, now it's down to about 8. They have been presenting since they formed in 1982, and have done presentations in Ontario, up and down the East Coast, Alabama, New Orleans, Salt Lake City, Fort Niagara, and one of the largest reenacting festivals at Fort Massac, which gets over 100,000 visitors during the month of October. Their schedule is on their Facebook account "First Royal Regiment of Foot."

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!

Montessori At Home: An Infant Space

Montessori education typically starts in a school setting when a child reaches around 2 1/2 years old. However, the Montessori environment is also accessible to parents who are just starting their families! Jess Jente, Villa di Maria's beloved P1 Assistant, who is currently on maternity leave (but returning to the classroom soon!), invited us into her home to meet her new baby boy Sam, and to share with us her infant Montessori space. A tenant to the Montessori visual experience is a calm, non-cluttered space. Walking into Sam's room, I was struck by how quiet, peaceful, and visually appealing it was. There were no bright flashing lights and noisy battery-operated toys, just a calm, soothing space, which is preferable to a child who is in the midst of the period of the Absorbent Mind. Sam, who is nearly 3 months old, takes naps on the mattress above, but still sleeps in his parents' room. Eventually, he will sleep in his bed at night as well.Jess shared that she and her husband purchased this thin, comfy mattress at Ikea. It is close to the floor to facilitate Sam's independence, and for safety.On one wall, many beautifully-colored mobiles hang. Jess switches them out frequently for Sam to look up at while he is on the floor. The blue Gobbi Mobile consists of 5 spheres that gradually change color from light blue to dark. The octahedrons seen in the first photo of this post are an introduction to geometric proportion, and make an interesting Montessori mobile for an infant.Above is a large bell hanging from a ribbon, which will encourage Sam to coordinate his movements once he bumps it by accident a few times and hears the sound it makes. He's getting closer - look at those little arms waving! There is a simple basket of board books beside Sam's bed, which will be easy for him to access once he starts crawling. A Montessori infant's bedroom should facilitate movement. The low shelves, low bed, and items that are within reach, will create this environment. As the child grows older, his space will adapt; "There is a mirror that can be hung on the wall that has a bar (similar to a ballet barre) that Sam will be able to pull himself up on for support when he gets older," Jess shares.The mirror on the floor next to the movement area provides an infant with stimulation. He can see and study his own reflection as well as begin to connect his movements with those he sees in the mirror. When he has "tummy time," the mirror can also encourage him to lift his head to look directly at himself, providing an opportunity to strengthen his neck and body.Jess shares that Sam's favorite mobile right now is the one that holds the butterflies, which he finds mesmerizing!The materials above are within a crawler's reach. Notice that the shelves are open and uncluttered.From left to right: Ball cylinder, basket full of bell on a ribbon, interlocking discs, ring rattle. A set of all 6 the items on the shelf (both top and bottom) can be found here. Above, from left to right: Ball teether, bell cylinder, and bell rattle What a lovely space for an infant. Thank you, Jess, for sharing Sam's beautiful space with us!For more information about creating an infant Montessori space, check out The Bambini Guide located right here in St. Louis! 

50 Ways of Giving: Walk for Wishes

Photo credit: Walk For Wishes MissouriThis weekend, on Saturday, April 15th, marks the 2017 Walk For Wishes event in St. Louis, which will be held at Forest Park's Upper MUNY Lot at 8am. The Make-A-Wish Foundation works to strengthen and empower children who are battling life-threatening medical conditions. All are welcome to join the VdM team for the one-mile walk, or feel free to sponsor any of the walkers with a donation.Read more about how it all started, and we hope to see you on the Villa di Maria Walk for Wishes team. To register for the walk, click here. For more information on the Walk For Wishes, read this.

Metal Insets

The metal insets are a popular work choice in the Primary classroom. If your child brings home endless examples of papers with shaky circles drawn upon them, he is learning much more than how to create a design! The metal insets, which consist of ten metal frames with matching metal insets: square, triangle, circle, rectangle, oval, trapezoid, pentagon, curvilinear triangle, and quatrefoil. This lesson is for a child to acquire mastery of the hand in using a writing instrument and is direct preparation for writing.A child learns to grip and guide his colored pencil, experiencing the effects of pressure upon the writing instrument. Also in doing this work, a child learns to use one continuous stroke with the pencil, which is helpful in preparation for cursive writing. The hand-eye coordination work here is intense for young children, and something in which they obtain much joy. The results are obvious and immediate; a child is provided visual feedback for the outline he has created, as well as for how saturated his lines are and how much pressure he has used to create this work.Through the work of metal insets, a child learns to refine his hand control, increase fine motor skills and muscle strength, and increase concentration. In addition, the child learns about the geometric shapes, including how they look when moved and turned about. As the child progresses through this work, he will use different insets together to create different designs, introducing him to the art he will be more conscious of in the next stage of development."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)

Lower Elementary Trip to the History Museum

Last week, the Lower Elementary 3rd Years joined the Upper Elementary students on a field trip to the Missouri History Museum for presentations on artifacts and sensory experiences of the history of St. Louis. It was a full day, packed with interesting information and group exercises with friends. Part of the fun of a field trip for VdM students happens to be the bus ride, where they tell stories, sit with friends, and point out their neighborhoods if they happen to pass nearby!Upon arriving, the students were separated into two groups to complete tours and classroom experiences in more manageable numbers. One group started with the classroom experience downstairs while the other headed upstairs for a guided tour.In the classroom, students were given the opportunity to experience four different historic places in St. Louis that no longer exist: the Riverfront, an old baseball stadium, Annie Malone's Poro College, and Gaslight Square.Above/below: The Riverfront, where students could smell wood smoke and listen to the sounds of work along the river. There was even an example of how cotton would have been packed and transported by boat in the late 1800's. Above: examples of things found at Annie Malone's Poro College, where Annie Malone, a pioneer in African American philanthropy, opened the women's beauty college (which also had a large bakery). Through its school and franchise businesses, the college created jobs for almost 75,000 women in North and South America, Africa and the Philippines. The students were able to smell freshly baked bread and apple butter that would have wafted through the college. The presentation also included comparing some favorite places around St. Louis and the senses of smell, sound, sight, and touch. This group chose the City Museum and were quite descriptive in their experiences of the place!Above/below: Gaslight Square, where students could smell tobacco and cologne, listen to some classic records, and touch instruments and a microphone from the time period. Above: the experiences of a baseball stadium - the smells of soda, leather, and bubble gum, along with the sounds of a ball game and even some old snack containers! Students then worked together to describe what they had experienced through their senses.During the second portion of the field trip, the groups switched places. The first group then headed upstairs to the Galleries. Below, a description from the Missouri History Museum's site about the experience:In the GalleriesStudents will visit three areas in the Currents and Reflections galleries. At each stop, they'll encounter a different part of St. Louis’s and Missouri’s past, all while practicing a different skill to help them engage with the artifacts and discover the main ideas of the displays:

• At Stop 1, students will engage in an inquiry-based group discussion. Like a real historian, they'll use their power of observation, their reasoning skills, their prior experience, and the ideas of their peers to draw their own conclusion about historic artifacts. This activity will take place in the Disasters section, which tells the stories of St. Louis’s struggle with and triumph over natural disasters and public needs.
• At Stop 2, students will use details they find in historic portraits, as well as their imaginations, to tell stories about people from Missouri’s past. This activity will take place in the Portraits section, which includes photographs and paintings of diverse Missourians from the 1800s to 1930s.
• At Stop 3, students will connect with artifacts by comparing and contrasting them with objects they use today. This activity will take place in the Urban/Suburban Life section, which recreates the built environments of the city of St. Louis and its surrounding counties during the 1950s.

A favorite was the Historic Portraits section, where students had many observations about the diverse Missourians they encountered through art.Thanks to the staff of the museum, who were gracious, patient, and open (and also had great senses of humor) with our students. We look forward to coming back some day!

The Wheelbarrows

This spring, the Primary playground has been fancied up with a few new additions, including several bright red wheelbarrows! These open-ended play items reinforce the loose parts play that experts say encourages more imaginative, child-directed play than fixed structures do. The children have come up with many games and ideas for using their shiny new wheelbarrows.Sometimes they choose to wheel them around the playground empty; the act of balancing the wheelbarrow on one wheel while trying to pivot and turn can be a challenge in and of itself! Backing up, changing direction, trying to wheel backwards, avoiding tipping over, and avoiding obstacles all teach the child the gross motor skills it takes to control a work tool such as this.Another popular activity is to fill the wheelbarrows with shovels full of wood chips, then to transport the wood chips from one area of the playground to another. Sometimes there is imaginative play happening alongside this act; other times, the simple work of filling, transporting, and dumping the wood chips is satisfying in its own right.Wheelbarrows can also double as shields!Cristina Kerr, primary assistant, shared how the addition of wheelbarrows, logs, and wood rounds have changed the dynamic on the playground. "The children play much more peacefully now. There is less conflict overall. We are so glad the lower elementary and Anna and Melinda shared the logs with us!"Thank you, Jackson Tree Service, for donating the small wood rounds to our school. They are greatly loved and played with often!Read this if you'd like to know some of the ideas the children come up with involving loose parts play!

Who We Are: Cesar Garcia

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 Cesar Garcia, father of Amaya, Elena, and Ben. He's a serious workhorse at Villa di Maria, always willing to volunteer his time to help with the many community activities throughout the year. Thanks for sharing with us, Cesar!Villa di Maria: Can you tell us a bit about your background and education?Cesar Garcia: I grew up in NYC, attending NYC public schools from kindergarten through high school. Interestingly, in my senior year, my high school, which was not known for its academic achievements, ended the year ranked second in the city in dropout rate.After high school, I enrolled at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, NY, but never attended. A few weeks before the start of the fall semester, there was an unfortunate mix-up with the financial aid office. Long story short, I ended up enrolling at the City College of New York (where tuition was about a tenth of that at RPI). There, I earned a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering.

For graduate school, I attended a then newly-developed interdisciplinary

program in electrical engineering, computer science, business administration, and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University, where I earned a Master of Science in Information Networking.

VdM: What do you do career-wise?

CG: I build IT infrastructure for a large investment bank in NYC. What our team does is comparable to what cloud vendors like Amazon, Google, or Microsoft do, except we do it in support of the firm's various lines of business. For the last 4 years, I've enjoyed the privilege of working from home here in St. Louis. I've happily traded 2+ hours of daily commuting for occasional trips back to NYC.

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

CG: Oldest hobby - eating ethnic food (how I wish I was a better cook!).Newest hobby - kayaking. I just started last summer. Finishing up by watching the sun set on the lake is pretty cool. Well, it was a little nerve wracking the fist time, as it wasn't exactly something I had planned.

Renewed hobby - biking. After years of not riding, I got my old road bike and mountain bike tuned up, just before the end of the riding season and managed to get some good miles in before the weather turned cold.

VdM: How were you introduced to Montessori?

CG: Amusingly enough, I have an old friend who was a Montessori "teacher" back in the nineties. At the time, she was also starting on a career in comedy. During an improv skit where the comics rotate through the development of a story where each sentence starts with a successive letter of the alphabet, she inadvertently skipped the letter "L." I didn't know what to make of Montessori at the time.

So I was really first introduced to Montessori when Anne and I were searching for a school for Amaya, and soon for Elena, to attend as part of our move to St. Louis. We weren't specifically looking for Montessori, but we feel very fortunate to have stumbled into Villa.

VdM: Do you have any "Montessori Moments" you can share with us? (In other words, examples of when your children have done or said things outside the classroom that struck you as unique to the Montessori experience)?

CG: More of a story than a moment, but it reflects our Montessori and Villa experiences nicely…

Amaya had started pre-school in NYC, attending the better half of her first

school year there. Every morning at drop-off, her teacher would greet her with a "good morning" and a hand shake, but not once did Amaya reciprocate. Later, I would ask her about her day, and she would casually respond with something along the lines of "it was good, I didn't talk to anyone today". That more or less characterized her first year of school. Not once did she speak a word to any of her teachers or, as far as we know, to any other children in her class.

Contrast that with her very first day at Villa, where she opened up to Mrs.

Milos summarizing her life story and our current circumstances - about just having moved to St. Louis, having a little brother and sister at home, Dad still in NY trying to sell the house and IIRC us living with the grandparents during our transition.

VdM: What is your favorite thing about Montessori?

CG: Perhaps the multi-aged classrooms and their progressing relationship to their classroom over the three years in the same class, and how the cycle repeats as they move from primary to lower and upper elementary. For our kids, it's a nice contrast from their situation at home where Ben is always the youngest, Elena the middle sibling, and Amaya the eldest.

Thank you, Cesar, for always being such a team player for our little community. We are so happy to have your family here at Villa di Maria!

Constructive Triangles

The constructive triangles are a sensorial material that are beautiful, versatile, and useful. As with most Montessori materials found in the Children's House, the constructive triangles invite continued repetition by the children and are also used in the Elementary environment. Heather Steinman, P3 Directress, welcomes us into her classroom and explains the work of constructive triangles. The Triangular Box, shown above, consists of:

One gray equilateral triangle, the shape and size of the box

One green equilateral triangle bisected from the midpoint of the          base to the apex

One yellow equilateral triangle divided into three equal pieces by          lines drawn from each angle to the center of the triangle (along          angle bisectors).

The constructive triangles are used to demonstrate that all plane geometric figures can be constructed from triangles. There are five boxes: 2 rectangular, 1 triangular, and 1 large and 1 small hexagonal. Each box contains triangles of different sizes, shapes, and colors. With the exception of Rectangular Box 2, black guidelines are painted in different positions on the triangles to help the child to construct other figures. This should be encouraged as an exploratory work that will provide a foundation for later concepts of equivalency, similarity, and congruency.The gray equilateral triangle allows for a child to check his own work: another example of self-assessment. A child uses this feedback to self-correct during this work.Thank you, Heather, for sharing this work with us!“Under the urge of nature and according to the laws of development, though not understood by the adult, the child is obliged to be serious about two fundamental things … the first is the love of activity… The second fundamental thing is independence.”  (What You Should Know About Your Child)

On Spelling

I have a confession. While driving home from school recently, it dawned on me that our youngest, who is five years old, probably didn't know The Alphabet Song. Though we read to him every night, and he looks at book after book after book just before falling asleep, we don't sit around singing the ABC's in our house. Sure enough, when one of his older brothers started singing it, the youngest chimed in, getting most of it, but definitely not all of it. We worked on it, and it didn't take long for him to grasp the song, but it made me think about how different the approach of learning to spell is, and learning about letters and words in general, in Montessori versus a traditional educational setting.In Montessori, children begin the process of writing before reading. Logically, if a child is not yet reading, but attempting to write, he will not spell words correctly. This is not because Montessori doesn't care about spelling; rather, Montessori seeks to inspire joyful expression in the task. In other words, the expression of the idea and the flow of creativity is more important than the limiting, halting prospect of getting every word right. That will come later, when a child reads and re-reads words over and over again.This is not to say that children are thrown into the gauntlet without any guidance. During their years in primary, children are exposed to the idea that letters make sounds. The sound of "d" is "duh," not "dee," the sound of "b" is "buh," not "bee," and so on. All of the lessons leading up to spelling - the sandpaper letters, the moveable alphabet, and later, phonograms and site words - help a child develop her concept of words. When a child starts story writing, she has not yet mastered reading!Robyn Milos, former Children's House Directress and current Director of Education here at Villa di Maria, adds, "In the Children's house, when children have enter the wonderful word of writing, they are introduced to an in-depth study of phonograms to learn the many ways of making one sound (think, ee, ea, y, e-e all make "ee"). With this study they become aware that there are options in spelling and become conscious of how to spell words when writing. I often hear things like 'which ee is in eating?' as they continue to refine writing along with reading in their culminating year."Lower Elementary students take turns quizzing each other on spelling wordsWhen a child is reading fluently, she begins to recognize words and how they are spelled, and quickly self-correct. Seeing words over and over again during fluent reading is an amazingly effective way of learning how to spell. As children develop their reading, they will start to seek out the correct spelling (this most consistently happens in lower elementary). Gentle reminders from directresses are also effective in correcting spelling as the child develops his skills of self-expression."There is one thing [the teacher] must never do and that is, to interfere by praising a child's work, or punishing him if it is wrong, or even by correcting his mistakes." - Maria Montessori, The Absorbent Mind*Photo credit for the first photograph: Melinda Smith

Why Dirt is Good for Your Children

Springtime is perhaps the muddiest of all seasons. And leave it to children to find the muddiest spots and make themselves comfortable! But aside from the inconvenience of cleaning up (or hosing off) a bit of dirt, it turns out that children are drawn to it for a reason; it's good for them.From the time they are infants, putting every little thing into their mouths, to the time they are toddlers, making mud pies and digging holes in the garden with their hands, to their elementary years when the most impressive mud puddles beckon to them, children seem to find dirt irresistible.There may be good reason for this; according to the "hygiene hypothesis" that many scientists are studying, ingesting small amounts of dirt (and the millions of bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms that come with it) are necessary for the development of a healthy immune system. These bugs are the "police force that keeps the immune system from becoming trigger-happy. Basically, the immune system is now attacking things it shouldn't be attacking," notes Dr. Graham Rook, a professor in the department of infection at the Centre for Clinical Microbiology at the University College London (US News).Rook goes on to point out that research has shown that an overly clean lifestyle (severely limiting a child's exposure to dirt and germs through the overuse of antibiotics, hand sanitizers, and spending less and less time engaging in play outdoors, which is ultimately time spent just getting down and out dirty) is linked to the increase in our society's prevalence of severe allergic reactions; gastrointestinal disorders, such as inflammatory bowel disease and Crohn's disease; and autoimmune disorders, such as type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis.Some other reasons to let your children get dirty include dirt's benefits on one's mood, reducing anxiety and stress, and there are even benefits of simply having dirt on one's skin! (Read more here)But perhaps the most obvious reason to let your child get dirty every day has to do with the connection he or she will make with nature. Getting dirty requires being outdoors, and we all need more of that! Plus, playing in the dirt is just fun!The National Wildlife Foundation has many suggestions for getting creative with dirt, including painting with a mud and a twig paintbrush, making good old-fashioned mud pies, building with mud, and good old-fashioned digging in the garden for worms. So when your children start to get down and dirty, take comfort in knowing that it's good for them!Further reading:Let Them Eat Dirt, by R. Brett Finlay and Marie-Claire ArrietaWhy Dirt is Good: 5 Ways to Make Germs Your Friends, by Mary RuebushMud Pies and Other Recipes, by Marjorie Winslow, illustrated by Erik Blegvad"If your child isn't coming in dirty every day, they're not doing their job."   -Dr. Mary Ruebush, immunologist and author of Why Dirt is Good: 5 Ways to Make Germs Your Friends.Thank you, Melinda Smith, for taking (and sharing) these awesome photos!

Who We Are: Richard Laforest & Qiaoni Jing

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 Qiaoni Jing and Richard Laforest, parents of Antoine, an energetic little boy currently in Directress Heather Steinman's Children's House.Villa di Maria: Can you tell us a bit about your background and education?Qiaoni: I grew up in China, lived in Japan and Switzerland as an exchange student, then studied Engineering and Economics in China. My pursuit of an MBA at Northwestern University lead me to the U.S. During an expatriate assignment in Argentina, I became pregnant with Antoine. Before he was even born, he traveled to Argentina, Brazil, and China before being born in St. Louis in 2012.Richard: I grew up in Quebec, Canada. I dreamed of becoming a physicist as a little kid, and followed that dream to become a PhD of Nuclear Physics. My research brought me to the U.S., France, then back to the U.S. I later "defected" to the medical world due to some fascinating application of my physics training in saving people's lives.If there is one word to describe our family, it's diversity. Lots to learn for Antoine language-wise as we regularly use three languages in the home: Chinese, French, and English.VdM: What do you do career-wise?Qiaoni: I've held a variety of different roles in the corporate world, from marketing to supply chain to R&D to corporate strategy. I'm currently the Chief of Staff Senior Director of Global Corporate Affairs at Monsanto.Richard: I am an Associate Professor of Radiology at Washington University.VdM: Do you have any hobbies? How do you like to spend your free time?Richard: So many, and the challenge is to find time! We met each other because of the common interest in road cycling. We participate in and support charity cycling events like MS 150 and Pedal the Cause. We both also enjoy running. While I prefer more formal events like Half Marathon, Qiaoni is more practical and focuses on small steps.Qiaoni: My goal is to run a full marathon distance each month, and I've been doing pretty well in the past couple of years! When I was a child, I had the dream of becoming a journalist, but being an obedient daughter and influenced by the idea that "smart kids go to STEM schools" in China at that time, I became an engineer. However, recently I have recently made an endeavor to write and publish in English. My first series of articles are about some amazing Chinese words: the meaning behind the pictures, and its implications on life and business. (Amazing Chinese Word #1: Harmony and Amazing Chinese Word #2: Crisis) Richard: I love bird-watching and star-gazing, so my favorite investments are in binoculars and telescopes. I want our next house to have a dome on top!As a family, we enjoy traveling, hiking (around St. Louis and afar), playing board games. Antoine went to the top of the Great Wall of China when he was 18 months old, sitting in a backpack on my shoulders. He went down into the Grand Canyon when he was three, coming back up in Qiaoni's arms. We ski during the winter, and Antoine and I sometimes skate.  VdM: How were you introduced to Montessori?Qiaoni: Almost accidentally, by Sophie Andre! Sophie's husband is Richard's colleague.  Sophie found Villa di Maria when she was searching for child care for Lynne.  Ever since, every time we met, Sophie kept talking about Montessori.  We had never met any parent who was so passionate about their kid's school so we decided to check it out.  Kudos to Sophie!VdM: Do you have any "Montessori Moments" you can share with us about Antoine?Qiaoni & Richard: We noticed that Antoine says "I can do it" a lot more often almost right after started in Montessori.  And he does all the things all by himself. For example, he asked to do dishes before we even think about asking him.  We attribute that to the practical life philosophy of Montessori.VdM: What is your favorite thing about Montessori education?Qiaoni & Richard: The passion the parents and teachers show for Montessori on a daily basis.  We're only 9 months in, so honestly we feel that we are still learning about all of the philosophies and practices of Montessori.  We count on the passion of others who have been into Montessori longer to keep us educated and motivated.We also enjoyed all the parent education and participation opportunities.  They are almost therapeutic, letting us linger a bit in the learning world of the little children and imagining how they grow there each and every day.Thank you, Qiaoni and Richard, for your thoughtful answers! We look forward to seeing you around campus!

Recess: A Glimpse into Lower Elementary

Every day, rain or shine, the elementary children gather outdoors on the school grounds to enjoy a different type of work: the work of play. While their mornings are filled with lessons and mental work, their afternoons are filled with work of the social realm. It is important to recognize that there is also plenty of this type of work that occurs during work cycles, as children learn to negotiate and work together on projects or work, but here, the social is the main focus. During the second plane of development, which occurs between 6 and 12 years of age, children focus on the exploration of mind and personality, as well as moral and social independence. Playing games during recess fulfills a great deal in this sense; children must navigate what to play, with whom, and how to keep a game going when there is conflict or disagreement. Problem solving through play and social interactions can greatly enhance critical thinking skills. There is so much more going on during recess than initially meets the eye!Self-control, compromise, sportsmanship, and cooperation are all essential to the second plane of development. Children of this plane are also extremely preoccupied with fairness, justice, and following rules.According to The Absorbent Mind, a child of the second plane is very focused on right and wrong; "this not only as regards his own actions, but also the actions of others…..moral consciousness is being formed and this leads later to the social sense." (p. 177) What better time to hone these skills than recess?Read more about why kids need recess here.

Construction Progress: March Update

My, what a difference a month makes! In February, the elementary building looked like this, and now, it's even closer to completion. Outside, concrete walkways have been laid, siding is up, sod is being rolled out and is greening up nicely, paint colors have been chosen, and the whole campus is a lot less muddy. 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!

How to Encourage Good Eating Habits (And Get Your Kids to Eat Their Veggies)

One of the biggest struggles of parenthood occurs each evening at the dinner table. Search "How to get kids to eat more vegetables," and hundreds of articles will pop up, suggesting anything from hiding vegetables in other foods to using garlic, bacon, and butter to make vegetables seem more appealing! It seems that, despite our knowledge of how important eating an abundance of healthy foods is (including plenty of fruits and vegetables), most of us still struggle with picky eaters, and worry about our children getting enough nutrients through these healthy foods. And worry we should; according to the CDC, 9 in 10 children do not eat enough vegetables.Why is it so important to offer a diversity of foods to our children? First and foremost, a wide array of foods means a wide array of nutrients. Science supports the "food first" theory of healthy eating, rather than relying on vitamins: “Nutritionists recommend food first because foods provide a variety of vitamins and minerals and also dietary factors that are not found in a vitamin or mineral supplement,”  said Penny Kris-Etherton, Ph.D., R.D., and Distinguished Professor of Nutrition at the Pennsylvania State University’s College of Health and Human Development (American Heart Association).Another less obvious benefit is hidden deep within our bodies: our microbiota. The human microbiota refers to the ecological community of commensal, symbiotic and pathogenic microorganisms found in and on the human body, and includes bacteria, archaea, protists, fungi and viruses. Our microbiota is what keeps us healthy, helps us absorb nutrients from the food we ingest, produces vitamins we cannot produce ourselves, and even helps regulate our weight. But a healthy microbiota requires a diversity of foods, including a wide range of fruits, vegetables, and other plant-based foods. When we stop eating these foods (or never start eating them), many healthy gut microbes die, and we lose the health benefits. Check out this interactive learning tool to understand more. For a more comprehensive look into the human microbiota and its important role in babies, children, and adults, read Let Them Eat Dirt, by B. Brett Finlay and Marie-Claire Arrieta.Here are some tips to encourage your kids to go for those greens (and oranges, purples, reds, and yellows) at dinnertime, and for snacks as well!Eat a Wide Range of Vegetables and Fruits YourselfThe first step to encouraging good eating habits is to set a good example. From a scientific standpoint, the best predictor of a child's eating habits is his parents' eating habits. Our children learn so much from us, including how and what to eat, so simply telling a child to eat his veggies while you eat around yours just doesn't work.Sliced avocado with a pinch of salt, a fresh green salad with cucumbers and pepitos, and pan seared tunaAlways Offer Vegetables Enforce a "one-bite" rule; meaning, a child must at least try a bite of everything on her plate, even if she doesn't finish the whole portion (and add a healthy load of veggies to that plate - research supports the idea that the more veggies you put on the plate, the more veggies your child will eat!). Keep in mind that it takes not 2 or 3, but closer to 9 or 10 times for a child to get used to a certain food. That means, on 7 or 8 occasions, your child may reject the same food - but with enough exposure, she will begin to rate the food more favorably, and even ask for it. Keep trying! Don't leave the veggie off the plate, and don't turn dinnertime into a power struggle.Keep a Light, Adventurous AttitudeAny parent can attest to the power struggle at dinnertime. It no doubt makes the whole experience less enjoyable for all, and doesn't seem to work anyway. Instead of digging in your heels and insisting that your toddler eat all of his salad, encourage one bite, praise him for trying a new food, and move on. Food should be enjoyable!Include Your Child If it is understood that there will be a vegetable on the plate at every dinner, enlist your child in choosing which veggie to serve one or two nights a week. Even better, encourage him or her to help prepare it (see Ms. Sophie's wonderful tips here). Enlist your child's help in choosing fresh produce at the grocery store or farmer's market, or even grow your own in a backyard garden or in pots on the patio.Consider Plain and FreshWhile we adults tend to prefer our vegetables cooked or with sauces or dressings, children may prefer theirs raw and separate. Consider placing different vegetables and fruits separately on the plate rather than cooked into something. The bright colors and different textures of cherry tomatoes, cucumber rounds, thinly sliced orange and yellow peppers, or whole snap peas can sometimes appeal to little ones more than a dish with many different flavors combined.Try lightly steaming broccoli (just a few minutes, so it retains its crunch) and squeezing a bit of fresh lemon juice on top!Avoid "Hiding" VegetablesSneaking vegetables into other foods by pureeing them misses the point; in order to form good eating habits, a child should get used to the flavors, textures, and appearance of all different types of food! Read more about this idea here.Offer the Vegetables FirstBefore serving the main course, offer the salad or vegetables first. This is when your child is hungriest, and she will be more likely to dig in. Or consider putting out a vegetable snack right after school when your child comes home ravenous! Veggies and hummus is a great, easy snack to make, especially if you cut up the vegetables ahead of time.Add a Bit of SaltJust a sprinkle of sea salt on top of a fresh salad does wonders in adding a bit more flavor - try fresh avocado with lime squeezed on top, sprinkled with a bit of salt, or just a pinch on top of salad.