February 8th 2019
JMS Newsletter
Jonathan Montessori School
Email: office@jonathanmontessori.org
Website: http://www.jonathanmontessori.org/
Location: 112090 Hundertmark Road, Chaska, MN 55318, USA
Phone: (952) 448-5232
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/JonathanMontessoriSchool/photos/?ref=page_internal
From our Guides...
Happy Valentine's Month!
Upcoming Events:
- Parent Coffee Rescheduled - Friday, February 15th at 9:15 am - Join us in the Treehouse for coffee, treats, and great conversation. Younger children are welcome to attend with you!
- Parent Night Out Fundraiser - Saturday, February 23rd from 4:30 pm - 7:30 pm at JMS (sign up below!)
- JMS Community Cultural Potluck - Saturday, April 6th 10:30 am - 12:30 pm at the Chaska Community Center
Missing out on important updates from JMS?
Email Emily Leskee to get set up with Remind 101 - our free, anonymous text message communication system that provides instant updates on school and event closures and delays.
JMS Parent Discussion Facebook Page
Join our private online forum for parents here.
Parent's Night Out
Minimum Donation: $25 for the first child, $15 for the second child, free for the third child.
Reserve your child's spot today by filling out this form.
Saturday, Feb 23, 2019, 04:30 PM
JMS
JMS Annual Community Cultural Potluck
Saturday April 6th from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
We will come together for a potluck lunch as well as fun activities including face painting, an interactive STEM presentation and an introduction to Karate class!
Parent Resources
The Montessori Toddler
Your comprehensive guide to raising toddlers (0-3 yr olds) in a Montessori way. Pre-order your book on Amazon or download the first chapter here.
"Do as I say, not as I do." By Charlotte Snyder
It’s hard to require a child to wear a coat when we’re not, or to put sunscreen on when we’re not, or to eat a nutritious meal when we’re not. It’s something called “mirror neurons,” where they’re hard-wired to act just like we do. It can sometimes invite argument; after all, children want to be Just Like Us, from walking and talking to emulating behaviors and worldviews. Even when we don’t want to be like our parents, they’re hugely influential in our lives, and taking a different stance than they did on something, is still in so many ways a response to them.
Sometimes this means shifting things around, having a child see you put on sunscreen prior to you asking them if they’d like your help or if they’d like to get started on their own, or tidying up our belongings before bed the same as we ask of our children.
Sometimes this just means an awareness. Huh. I guess I don’t wear a coat if I’m running in and out of the car doing errands, and if I want my child to stop arguing about wearing their coat I could start by wearing mine.
Sometimes this means inviting a child into the agreement and holding them accountable. This is especially effective for older children. Decide on which options you’re going to give your child — would you like to make your bed before or after you eat breakfast? — and then stay the course. This is one that appeals to families who are trying to give their children more choice. A really vital piece here is to reflect prior to giving options. Particularly if a child is new to making choices, it can be natural to have a bit of testing or pushback here. Why do I have to make my bed at all? How about before I go to bed? If it’s so important to you, why don’t you do it, cause I don’t care if my bed is made or not.
It’s a huge part of our responsibility as parents, caregivers, and educators to help children not just grow to adulthood, but to give them life skills, to help them develop good habits, to provide a structure, and to allow freedom within and as a child demonstrates self-discipline.
This can be one of those times when it’s easy to “follow the child… off a cliff.” But what if we substitute another cultural norm for making the bed, let’s say, speed limits. When we give children skills to practice self-discipline in a way that is safe, we’re giving them the skills to exert self-discipline when the stakes are so much higher.
Box Tops For Education - Feb. 25th
Emergencies + Late Pick-Ups:
If you are a family who picks up after 3:30 and cannot get a hold of anyone using the 952-448-5232 school telephone number, please call or text Emily Leskee at 605-496-4929 to inform staff of emergencies or late pickups.