We have all said our good byes to 2015 and a big welcome to 2016 !! With the new year we all make resolutions, but in spite of our best intentions, we somehow get stuck in our old patterns and have a difficult time leaving them behind. I am challenging myself this year to drop a few of my habits, harmless as they may seem, I know they need to go.

How often do we hear ourselves say, “Good Job”! … it kind of just rolls off our tongue. It sounds encouraging but gives no indication of what the child did to complete the job. Most of the times it turns out to be empty praise and at times might even discourage children from trying new things at which they may fail. We as adults don’t realize that we are acting as judges and we motivate the children to act in a manner to please the adults rather than perusing an activity for their own satisfaction. It now has become a method of control, just like punishment.

Rather than the “Good job” or “Awesome”… the adult can talk about specifics. “I can see you tried real hard to color within the lines”, “ I see you tried writing your name on the picture”. We need to communicate that we appreciate the effort the child has put into the learning. We need to appreciate practice and persistence in our children that is what helps them develop.

Hope 2016 sees more adults encouraging and motivating the young minds around us.

“Eventually we gave up either punishing or rewarding the children.”
— Maria Montessori, The Secret of Childhood.

We are almost a month into the semester and finally we see the class rooms settling in and the children falling into their new routines. Thank you parents for bringing the children to school on time i.e by 8-8:15 am. It is so important to get a good start in the morning, it sets up for a productive day. Here is an  upcoming event by the end of the  month.

• Picture day on Sept 30th. This year we have Memories Children’s Photography coming in to make memories for us. The day will start early as usual and we are hoping to have it all done by 11am. Please send your children dressed in the clothes you would like them to be photographed. Don’t forget to send their uniforms along with them, to be changed into after the photographs. The bulletin board in the foyer has the choices of the back drops, please check them out so that they give you an idea of what to dress your child in.

Wow! what a great response to our Open House today. Thank you all for coming out to check our facility and meet with our teachers. It was wonderful to meet with the new families moving into Prosper. A big Welcome to all of you and your beautiful families. If for some reason you were unable to be with us today,  no worries, please feel free to call us on Monday and we will be happy to set up a tour for you to show you around our school. Have a great week end.

Prosper’s Premier Montessori School  invites you to come check us out on July 18th from 2-4pm for our Open House. Come meet our staff members and see what makes us so special. Visit our lighted beautiful classes and check out our awesome back yard where children get to play, exercise, think, garden and have a time of their lives.

The children are so excited about the “early” 4th of July Parade at school tomorrow. They spent their day making banners and the afternoon decorating the back yard with flags and bows. We hope for good weather, good food and loads of fun. Wishing one and all a Happy 4th of July.

“What Is A Dad?

A dad is someone who
wants to catch you before you fall
but instead picks you up,
brushes you off,
and lets you try again.

A dad is someone who
wants to keep you from making mistakes
but instead lets you find your own way,
even though his heart breaks in silence
when you get hurt.

A dad is someone who
holds you when you cry,
scolds you when you break the rules,
shines with pride when you succeed,
and has faith in you even when you fail…”

We want to celebrate this special man … called Dad.
Calling all Dads at WFMA
PLEASE come join your child/children for breakfast tomorrow
from 7:30-8:30am

News from Summer Primary Class:

Summer is off to a great start!

The first week we focused on plants: we harvested and ate tomatoes and zucchini from our school garden. The students also planted their own green bean seeds and watched as (in just two days!) the roots grew first, then the shoots! What a miracle! These will be transplanted into the garden very soon. Next we discussed the parts of the flower and everyone got to dissect a rose and discover first-hand the stem, leaves, petiole, petals, stamen and pistil.
In week 2 we are learning all about dinosaurs and their traits: which are herbivores, carnivores and omnivores, which ones walk, fly and run, and how they protected themselves against predators.
Next week (week 3), the focus will be on nutrition as everyone gets to play the Nutrition Game and learn about filling their “plate” with healthful food. We will focus on the different food groups and how they fuel the body.
We are gardening at least three mornings a week, early in the day, around 9:00 am. The students must wear boots to garden, so please make sure your child has a pair of rubber boots at school so she/he can participate! And, remember, all children must have closed toe shoes every day in order to play outside.
Thank you for sending water bottles with your children. Almost everyone has a water bottle everyday which makes staying hydrated outside much easier.

Hope you are enjoying your summer – we are!
Sarah Hester