Montessori Matters
October 12, 2018
Modeling Empathy instead of Teaching Empathy
We are trying to respond to several of the topics listed in our Parent Education Survey. One family was interested in how to teach “empathy to a six-year-old.” The good news is, as far as MSA is concerned, it is built into our very fabric. We do not “teach” empathy as much as we “model” empathy. It is inherent in all our classrooms across campus. It is a foundational piece of a Montessori education. That is one advantage of having a three-year age span. The six-year-olds in a class readily “teach” the three-year-olds. The fives comfort a four-year-old on the playground who has taken a tumble. The third grader listens to the first grader read from a book. When the younger child comes to a difficult word, the third grader (having remembered that feeling just a short time ago) encourages the first grader to sound it out and gives hints if necessary. Upper elementary does community service with toddlers and Primary children. The middle schoolers do community service at West Market where they work one on one with preschoolers. It is not “cool” to care about little kids in most big school settings, but here it is a natural part of the day. Those are just a few of hundreds of daily and weekly examples around our campus.
And above all – monitor what your children are seeing on TV, in the movies, and playing on video games. But that is a topic for another day... or better yet, a whole evening of parent education: How to Help Control Media Mania!
Dates to Remember
October 15-19 - Fall Break
October 22 - Fall Fest food reservation form due
October 23 - Pink Out for Breast Cancer Awareness
October 22-26 - Upper Elementary play week, see poster below for details
October 26 - Primary Book Character Day
October 27 - Fall Festival at Dbouk Farm
October 27 - National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, see note below
Oct. 29-Nov. 2 - Spirit Week
Oct. 29-Nov. 2 - Parent/teacher conferences
November 6 - Election Day, see note below about make-up day
November 6 Make-Up Day
Dear MSA Parents,
If you were like me, you were caught somewhat by surprise that schools were closing yesterday. Our policy is to follow Anderson District 5 regarding Inclement Weather School Closings, but there are times when the factors considered in making these decisions are not ones that pertain to us. This was probably one of those times. Of course, Anderson 5 did not hesitate to make this call to close school, because they have now implemented “E-learning Days” (Chromebook-based) which means that they do not lose a day of school even when it’s closed and therefore do not have to make up the day later.
We will need to make up this lost day. Fortunately, we had already designated November 6 (Election Day) as a possible Make-Up Day. Unfortunately, we will have a polling station on campus that day with many voters coming and going. So, we have decided to use this make-up day as an “At-Home School Day.” All programs will be closed on campus, but Primary risers through High School will be assigned work on that Monday to do on Nov. 6 while they are at home. Teachers will provide details about what will be expected closer to the date.
This will also serve as a test to see if we might be able to implement an “At-Home School Day” for future inclement weather closings. Of course, Montessori School of Anderson is a little different from traditional school and we want to ensure that our students are able to do meaningful work during this time, so we would appreciate your feedback after Nov. 6. As we review and update policies and procedures for severe weather and professional development closings, our objective is to inconvenience our families as little as possible, but more importantly, to keep our children’s learning foremost in our minds.
Your thoughts and input are always appreciated. Please let me know if you have any concerns or questions.
Wishing you all a wonderful Fall Break!!!
Dr. Hill
PINK OUT for Breast Cancer Awareness
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual worldwide campaign to highlight the importance of breast health, early detection, awareness, education, advocacy and research advancement. The MSA staff and faculty welcome you to join us on Tuesday, October 23, 2018 during our PINK OUT event. We encourage everyone campus wide to don your “pink”, as we respectfully acknowledge all of the women and men who are bravely battling this disease and we remember those who bravely lead the charge in the advancement of research and treatment. We look forward to and hope to see our community come together and celebrate the lives of those who have been touched by breast cancer.
With healthy regards,
Susanna Merriman, RN
Fall Festival
Follow this link to download and print a food reservation form (due Monday, October 22).
Upper Elementary Presents: Schoolhouse Rock Live! JR.
Box Tops for Education
Oliver Saunier
Special Comments
Primary Extended Day
Cooking Noodles
Holding Hands
Montessori Moment
At Home Work
Upper Elementary Sun Presentations
Middle School STEM Activity
High School Volleyball
Ethanol Experiment
Safety Training
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day
When: Saturday, Oct. 27 from 10am - 2pm
Where:
- AnMed Health North Campus - front parking lot across from Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market
- Anderson Mall - front parking lot beside LifeWay Christian Store
Note: only pills will be accepted - no liquids, insulin pens, epipens, inhalers, or needles.
Please help us get the word out to our community! See this link to learn how you can properly dispose of your unused medications.
Yearbooks and Recognition Ads
Recognition ad prices go up after October 26! If you have an 8th, 9th, or 12th grade student this year, you may purchase a recognition ad for your child today. This link will allow you to purchase and design your recognition ad online. If you prefer a paper order form and have not yet received one, please let Mr. Dabney know at mdabney@msasc.org, and he can send one home with your student after Fall Break.
Adding Recipients
Montessori School of Anderson
Email: mdabney@msasc.org
Website: msasc.org
Location: 280 Sam McGee Road, Anderson, SC, USA
Phone: 864-226-5344
Facebook: http://facebook.com/MontessoriSchoolofAnderson