Ages 3 – 6
Chickadees (Montessori Pre-Primary)
The art of Montessori, which simply means finding the best way to help the child himself become what he was meant to become from the first moment of conception, is an art that joins home and school. That means parent and teacher supporting one another in their responsibility to the life of the child. Maria Montessori
In her years of research and observation of young children, Dr. Maria Montessori noticed a commonality among all the children she worked with. This common factor is a set of traits that present themselves as instincts that enable the child to learn how to learn to succeed in the particular environment into which he is born. She discovered that if these traits were nurtured and guided then they became stronger and stayed with the child as he matured. However, she observed that these traits are all too easily snuffed out leaving behind children who seem uninterested in the world around them and are dependent on others to provide for their needs. Like Dr. Montessori, we have dedicated ourselves to encourage these traits in order for them to become the
scaffolding for a self-motivated creative life.
The Traits
Curiosity- the urge to discover
Independence- need to self perfect through repetition and self-pace
Maximum Effort- to achieve self-motivated goals
Shows an appreciation for Order and Aesthetics
Shows capacity for Higher Order Thinking- to apply judgment from experience
Can Adapt and Construct- to create new experience
Shows capacity to Absorb cultural values
Encourage and nurture the continued development of these traits given each child at birth to equip them to learn naturally.
Just as the youngest children effortlessly learn to walk, talk, so will they eagerly embrace all that attracts their natural curiosity, and stimulates their innate desire to perfect themselves
There is a strong inner drive to learn through an independent and self paced induced repetition
An internal sense of order if nurtured offers a reliable foundation for lifelong appreciation of aesthetics and organization.
Given Challenges they will naturally respond by constructively adapting to a higher order of nested priorities.
Those in turn are dictated by the environment through the child’s absorbent mind much like the absorbed language of the culture. The exact cultural expectations of the community environment become an indelible – even emotional part of the child referred to as the “second embryo” by Montessori.
“To consider the school as a place where instruction is given is one point of view. But, to consider the school as a preparation for life is another. In the latter case, the school must satisfy all the needs of life.” —Dr. Montessori
Independence
“No one can be free unless he is independent. In reality, he who is served is limited in his independence.” —Dr. Montessori
Arrival Time
It is important for your child to arrive on time. Children are taught in small groups based on level for lessons in math and language. If your child is consistently late he/she may be missing out on the lesson that best meets his/her ability level. Children thrive on routine and when that routine is interrupted it can be hard to get into a rhythm of productive work choices. Children who arrive on time are confident in the order of the day and their place within the community.
Arrival and Pick-up Procedure:
Chickadees arrive and depart at varying times. Half Day Chicks arrive at 8:30 am and leave at 11:30. Chicks leaving at this time will be escorted to the front courtyard to be picked up in the car line. Full Day Chicks arrive at 8:30 am and leave at 3 pm. There will be a staff person present at morning car line to greet your child at their car. At the end of the day, Chicks will wait in the front courtyard for pick up. If you have an older sibling that arrives at 8 am, you may drop your Chick off at the circle at the same time. A staff person will be available to escort your child to the classroom.
In order to keep traffic moving at both morning and afternoon times we ask that you stay in your car. If you need to come inside please park in a parking space. If you are visiting, you may drop your child off first and then park. Please be considerate of others and never leave your car sitting in the circle. If picking up during aftercare, please park in a space before coming in to get your child.
Coming inside with your child
If you are coming in to drop off your Chickadee, we ask that you say goodbye at the gate and allow your child to demonstrate their independence in hanging up their own belongings and getting ready for the day. We know that this is different than other situations and hope that you will be a partner with your child as they develop new skills and learn the expectations for independence in the classroom. The teachers will be watching and assessing to offer encouragement and assistance. The goal is to allow the child to put forth his own effort to complete a task, such as getting a coat to stay on its hook or taking off shoes.
It can be especially difficult to say goodbye if your child is showing hesitancy. In our experience, we have found it is much easier for the child to say goodbye to the parent before coming in, than for the parent to say goodbye and walk away. This is one reason we encourage the car line drop off. We do have a few recommendations that may ease anxiety.
Refrain from asking your child to make something for you as this puts an expectation on the child to please you rather than regarding school as a special time to follow personal interests.
There is no need to promise to take them somewhere or assure them a special relative is picking them up. While these are well-meaning promises, it often leaves children anticipating all day and unable to concentrate on lessons.
A short routine that can be followed daily such as a hug and a kiss followed with “Have a good day” helps the child feel confident that you are confident in their well-being at school.
If your concern is such that you would like to linger, we have observation windows where you may watch. This can be arranged through Guyia. It is true that some children cry at drop off. We have found that a child may cry for a few minutes but will soon discover that nothing bad is happening and will begin to take interest in what is going on around them.
Bathroom Expectations
It is the expectation of the Chickadee environment that students are fully potty trained. Fully potty trained means they are able to know when they need to go without prompting, pull pants up and down, and wipe after a bowel movement. You are welcome to provide flushable wipes for your child if you think they would be useful. It is not uncommon for young children to have a few accidents in the beginning of the school year, especially if it is their first time at school. Often kids do not want to stop what they are doing and will try and hold it until it is too late. There is a designated girls and boys bathroom and students are allowed to go anytime they need. If your student is one who needs some time to get used to the new routine of being at school we will work with them and keep in touch with you on how it is going. In that instance, you may want to provide a couple changes of clothing just in case.
Clothing
Each child will need one full set of labeled extra clothes to be stored at school. Children need to change for a variety of reasons and are always more comfortable in their own clothing. If your child brings home clothes please send a new set with them the next day.
When children are not scheduled for a class they may choose to work outside. They might paint, work with paper mache or cook. Learning is a hands-on and often messy endeavor, even though we use aprons for many of the messier explorations clothes still sometimes get dirty or stained.When wearing new or special clothes, learning opportunities can be inhibited.
If a child has an accident and they do not have extra clothes at school then a parent will be called to bring clothes in, along with an extra set to keep in the basket. A child may play outside in warm weather while waiting for extra clothes to arrive or sit at an assigned table with a work. While we have a limited number of spare clothes available at the school they are not always the best fit for every child. If your child wears home NM clothing we ask that you wash and return it the next day so that they are available if needed in the future.
Bags
Each child will be issued a crochet bag or a Nightingale bag for use to and from school. These bags serve to carry work and communications to and from school. Check bags daily for notices or dirty clothes. Do not send toys, pencils books etc. or food not intended for lunch. Items found in bags will be stored and returned to the parent at carline.
If your child does not have his bag he will be unable to bring work home that day. If your student cannot find or loses their bag do not send any other book bag with your child as we do not have space to accommodate large book bags. A new bag may be issued with a 5 dollar replacement fee. If a whole week goes by without a bag, one will be automatically issued and a fee assessed. Carrying the bags is a beginning step to independence, responsibility, and accountability. You may find it helpful to have a special place at home to store the bag so that the child may take ownership of collecting it each morning before school. Bags will be collected at the end of the year for cleaning and reuse. (Unreturned bags will be subject to a 5 dollar replacement fee.)
Curiosity
“The essential thing is to arouse such an interest that it engages the child’s whole personality.” —Dr. Montessori
Items to bring to school
We strive to make the classroom interesting and inviting enough to pique interest. We ask that you do not send any extra items with your child. Toys and stuffed animals are unneeded. If your child would like to bring a special item to share we ask that you give advance notice. The item should be something special to the child. Examples include a favorite book to share, photos or souvenir from a trip, or an educational/cultural item to share.
Field Trips:
Field trips are reserved for students 5 years of age and over. Due to state seat belt laws we are not able to transport children under the age of 5. If your child is going on a field trip he/she will bring home the necessary permissions to be signed. Field trips are a special opportunity for older Chicks, however, there is valuable experience to be gained for the 3-4 yr olds while the 5s are away. No one should be feeling they are “left behind” as each students experiences are individual. The youngest students look forward to the opportunities of being the oldest in the class while at the same time embracing all the joy of the stage they are in.
Adapt and Construct
Outdoor Work
It is the philosophy of Nightingale Montessori that there are benefits and learning opportunities to be had in all seasons and weather. Children are encouraged to explore the outside environment in light rain and cold temperatures as well as on warm dry days. The children are helped and taught how to be dressed and comfortable. In the winter children are dressed appropriately to the temperature or they are not allowed out. In extreme cold time will be limited even when dressed for the weather. You can send a raincoat and boots on a wet day but ask that you do not send umbrellas for safety reasons. In the winter the children need snow pants, boots, hats, and gloves. If you do not provide a necessary item, the school will furnish it in order that the child can participate in outdoor work. If you do provide items for your child, please label everything.
Children in their work often get dirty which is why we encourage you to have your child wear comfortable clothes so they can be free to explore and create as they follow their curiosity. The weather/ temperature often changes over the course of the day. The children are encouraged within reason to decide if they need their jacket when playing outside. We know that parents play an important role in deciding what is best for their children. Following is a list of activities which we have found parents feel differently about: Let us know if your child is limited in these experiences.
Climbing trees
being outside barefoot
being out in light rain (head is always covered)
Amount of outside time in cold weather ( beyond 40 minutes)
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.” —Dr. Montessori
Cultural Celebrations
National holidays are addressed through the geography curriculum and we learn about holidays from countries around the world as they occur over the course of the year. We do not have class parties but do have a few traditions that we uphold.
Valentine’s Day: The older students help the Chicks make Valentine’s from recycled paper that they make. Children are welcome to share Valentine’s with the class. If you choose to participate there should be enough homemade Valentine’s for the whole class. If the child wishes to bring a treat to share it must meet Smart Snack guidelines. Please be aware that per our smart snack stance we are not able to serve or pass out candy or other sugary treats.
Easter: The older children, Eagles, prepare and host an Easter egg hunt for the Chicks. The Eagles create baskets for the Chickadees, decorate the eggs, and hide them.
Birthday Celebrations: The Chickadee class has a special ceremony for birthday celebrations. The birthday child carries a small Earth model around the sun for each year of their life. They are invited to bring pictures to share from each age (1, 2, 3, etc). Parents send in a little something to tell about the child for each age. This is a time that the child could share a significant personal item from home with the class. The children will sing “Happy Birthday” in at least two languages and blow out candles. If you would like to send a treat please remember that it must meet Smart Snack Guidelines. Parents and siblings are invited and welcome to come and be part of the celebration. If you would like to attend the birthday celebration and or will be bringing/sending a treat, give advance notice. Birthday celebrations are either at midday meeting or at end of day meeting.
Nutrition
Breakfast is provided and free to all children who would like to eat. Breakfast is available between 8:30 and 9:00 daily. Do not send other food items for your child for breakfast if your child prefers other food than items we serve, please give breakfast to your child before school. Please let us know if you would prefer your child to eat at home to avoid two breakfasts! If your child arrives after 9 am breakfast will no longer be available as tables are being readied to begin the day’s lessons.
Snacks – Part of the practical life curriculum involves learning to prepare food. A small snack is available on those days. Sometimes there is food available from the catered lunch that is placed out for a snack. At other times, a “cultural” snack is available as part of the geography curriculum. Since food is sometimes available to the children please let us know of any dietary restrictions or allergies. Snack is available daily for children staying for aftercare.
Lunch –Children and families vary greatly in what and how much they eat. We will try and support your wishes if we know what they are. In general, children are discouraged from throwing food out. If they do not finish something we try to make sure they put it back in their lunch box. However we also know that a messy lunchbox is no fun, so if something is not resealable we may allow the child to throw away the unfinished portion. Lunch time is a great opportunity to support your child’s independence. Send containers and packaged foods that can easily be opened.There are some foods that cannot be eaten with the table manners we try to promote. – such as go-gurts We kindly request that you do not send them with your child for lunch.
As a rule, children need to have in their lunch a grain, a protein, and a fruit or veggie. 1% milk is available to the children at lunch. Any missing food group is required to be supplemented by the school. Children will be encouraged to eat healthy choices first. Please do not send candy with your child for a dessert.
Catered lunch is supplied by our kitchen program Gourmet Grub. We strive to make healthy nutritious and delicious lunches. You can see menu items through the link on our website. You can plan ahead and pay in advance or pay as you go if your child will only cater occasionally. All money should be in a sealed labeled envelope and will be given to Guyia.
Supplies
We do not have a required supply list, yet, many parents ask throughout the year if they can donate something. There are a few consumable items that you are welcome to donate if you would like. Glue stick, dry erase marker, and tissues are all greatly appreciated. We can also use donations of outgrown clothes that would be appropriate for our age group.
Money
Please put all money for lunches, tuition, fundraisers, etc. in an envelope labeled with amount name and purpose.
Naps
If your child needs a nap he/she may have one after lunch. Naps are available to children who need them but are not a whole class requirement. Let us know if your child needs to nap and for how long. You can send a fitted sheet for the cot and a blanket if you desire. This is often a transitional stage for naps with this age group. At some point, they will begin to give up their naps but still get tired. We provide a quiet area in the classroom for those who do not nap but still need some time to rest and work quietly in the afternoon.
Health
Whether or not to send your child to school when they are not feeling well can be a difficult decision. There are some illnesses we must send a child home for in order to protect the best interests of everyone. The following are some of the times a child will be sent home:
Fever
Vomiting
Pink eye
Congestion which is green and foul-smelling
Rashes which are signs of contagious childhood diseases
Head Injuries (all head injuries will be reported to the parent via phone call)
Lice
In general, we ask that you be considerate of others when you decide to send or not send a child who isn’t completely well to school. If a child is feeling too poorly to participate in classroom activity a parent will be called. For the comfort of your child, we request that you pick up as soon as possible.
Immunizations must be up to date. If you receive a notice from the office about a physical or immunizations, please respond in a timely manner.
Injuries and Incident Reports
Children outside are working at many valuable tasks. In order to perfect themselves they are learning judgment, testing their strength and, setting goals for themselves as they work to be better, stronger, and faster than they were before. While reaching for a goal and exerting maximum effort to a task a child often accepts the risk of a scraped knee or a bump or bruise to reach their goal. Injuries such as that may be conveyed verbally during carline. Often a minor injury is not even reported by a child. We will ask children to let us know if they get hurt and we encourage you to do the same. Written injury reports may be at the discretion of the head teacher based on the injury and how it occurred. Though an infrequent occurrence any sort of bump to the head is reported by phone call at the time of injury.
“To let the child do as he likes when he has not yet developed any powers of control, is to betray the idea of freedom” – Dr. Montessori
Discipline
The standard for classroom expectation is modeled first by the adults in the environment and then emulated as the child strives for perfection. It is our belief that if children are over challenged or under challenged that is when “misbehavior” occurs. With that thought in mind great care is taken to set up an environment that will lead to curiosity and discovery. Through constant observation, teachers use the feedback from students to prepare at level lessons and challenging and interesting shelf work. At the same time positive encouragement and acknowledgment of right behavior drive the inner desire. At circle, the children take pride in acknowledging a classmate who has done something well.
As teachers we share with students the benefits of being part of the community such as greater freedom to move about the environment, opportunity to demonstrate an ability at meeting, or help another child with a work. Children will be given clear expectations, consistent firm redirection and insistence on correct behavior before resuming normal activity. Tantrums can occur at this stage. We will wait out the time it takes in an off classroom quiet area for a child to realize the rules of the classroom will hold nonetheless the tantrum. The child will be soothed, and accompanied by a staff member in an attempt to entice the child to return to the classroom under the condition the broken rule is mended by the child.
“There is a great sense of community within the Montessori classroom, where children of differing ages work together in an atmosphere of cooperation rather than competitiveness. There is respect for the environment and for the individuals within it, which comes through experience of freedom within the community.” —Dr. Montessori
Parent Communication:
If you need to leave a last minute communication for the teachers you can leave a note with Guyia, or email Guyia or Krista. If your child is not feeling well and you would like us to call you if need be, tell a staff member directly and do not give the message to your child. This often becomes a huge point of distraction for a child. We will be happy to call in the event that your child is not well enough to participate in class activities. If you call in with information about your child, Guyia will provide the staff with a written communication.
Observation:
Parents are welcome to come and observe their child at any time. Please make arrangements with Guyia in advance so she can be prepared to bring you undetected to the observation area.
Newsletter
The newsletter is a great way to find out what activities your child has been working on over the past month.
Conference
A teacher or parent may request a conference. Conferences take place after school at 3:15 on Wednesday or Thursday. Email Krista if you would like to request a conference.
Email:
You are welcome to email with questions, requests or concerns. Email will be checked nightly and responded to in a timely manner.
You can reach Krista at klambdin@nightingaleschool.org
The Montessori Method Aids Learning Through the Innate Traits.
How does the Montessori Method aid learning through the innate trait of “Higher Order Thinking ?”
The way learning occurs through Higher Order Thinking.
The curriculum requires students to critically examine the components of a problem in order to judge whether a principle learned in a familiar problem can be applied to new problem.
The components of problems may be information that is memorized such as the number and letter shapes with corresponding numerical value or phonetic sound.
The structure of a decimal or phonic system uses principles that govern the solutions to problems within its order.
Learning that solving new problems with principles learned in previous ones becomes a way to learn through Higher Order Thinking.
How does the Montessori Method aid in learning through the natural trait “Absorbent Mind?”
The way learning occurs through the Absorbent Mind”.
The values shown in modeled behaviors and expectations of our community are imprinted on the students who will learn all of these with the same exactness as they learn their mother tongue. The absorbent mind takes a nondiscriminatory or total camera image approach to every detail of its environment in order to learn the components of success peculiar to the birth culture. This penetrating learning is so indelible that the unique human adaptation experience has been called a “Second Embryo” to underline its formative power.
How does the Montessori Method aid in the natural development of learning through “Independence?”
The way learning occurs through independence.
The student learns through his “first hand experiences” brought to awareness through the exploration primarily using the hands. Given an allowance to perceive and judge what is sought and tested independently by all his heightened senses, his own world view and judgement expands. Learning continues to be self -motivated through the natural learning trait of Independence.
How does the Montessori Method aid through the natural learning trait of “Curiosity?”
The way learning occurs through curiosity.
Children are compelled to unveil mysteries and discover what they can control and what controls them. They have a great wonder for how and what attracts their interest and to what they feel a connection. Since the well is deep and the students’ buckets are too small to discover all the knowledge lurking in the fathoms, a sense of endless quest is created. The pioneer student seeks the adventure indicated by the guidance of the teacher.
How does the Montessori Method aid in learning through the natural trait of “Adaptation and Construction ?”
The way learning occurs through “Adaptation and Construction.”
Children realize they can effect change. They often want what is not there. They can learn the principles involved in the change they seek. Experience with adapting and constructing contributes to the creative process which is a vital part of the evolution of mankind.
How does the Montessori Method aid in learning through the natural trait of ” A Need for Order?
The way learning occurs through a need for order.
Children learn by categorizing experience. They must have a structure that allows them to sort and match these as they are compared, contrasted and sequenced. The logical scaffolding developed in this way allows them to predict and explain the world as they experienced it to be. If the mental scaffolding is not outwardly constricted ,the students will naturally build on it . As advancement in the understanding of their frames of reference occurs, the student will seek to create new order,This is done in response to a need to expand the order by connecting new information to the old experience.
How does the Montessori Method aid in learning through the natural trait of “Self-Pace?”
The way learning occurs through self-pace.
The student must process new information often through the work of the hands.The “scribbling ” reveals the aspect of what is basically currently understood of the topic. The Socratic question enables the student to evaluate his own internal understanding. Instead of answers being a matter of right or wrong which are learned within a prescribed standard of time, learning becomes a respected individually paced practice.
How does the Montessori Method aid in learning through the natural trait of the “Need for Repetition to Self Perfect?”
The way learning occurs through repetition to self-perfect.
The most noticeable beginning steps to learning new information is the necessity to repeat what is to be learned . The repetitions are imperative to expect the information to be accessed automatically. Repetition can be effectively aided by the hands and by visual associations. Large muscle repetitive kinetic movement and rhythmic auditory prompts learning through additional sensory repetition.
How does the Montessori Method aid learning through the natural trait of a”search for the aesthetic?”
The way learning occurs through the search for aesthetics .
There exist elemental standards that commonly exist for the emotional enjoyment for every sense in every culture. The various ways these elements are felt depend on the presentation in the absorbent mind.
How does the Montessori Method aid in learning through the natural trait “to use Maximum Effort.”
The way learning occurs through the use of Maximum Effort.
Effort is increased when self-motivation has resulted from the natural traits having been given an arena to develop. It is characteristic of an absorbing interest. It accompanies a desire to discover the distinguishing features of the idea in pursuit or a need to probe the essence of what has lured it to be a focus of concentration.