Bristow Montessori School
"The Buzz" - December 2016
Dear BMS Community,
Seasons greetings to all our families! December is flying by with all the festive activities that the teachers have organized for the students. The hallways have been filled with the fragrance of home baked cookies week after week. It has been lovely to hear the children spontaneously break into song as they work or walk through the building. It fills us with pride that the children have embraced an atmosphere of service and appreciation for others during this holiday season. Each class has made ornaments, cards, and baked goods to deliver to the folks at the assisted living residence in Gainesville, as our school wide community service project, so thanks to Ms. Davis for organizing this, and to everyone involved for their hard work!
This month's topic in the Montessori Lens is transitions within the Montessori environment. I hope you find it useful. I am always available to talk to parents about the Montessori philosophy and program curriculum at any time if there are questions that arise from the topics being highlighted.
In service,
Anita Ercole
Transitioning to The Next Level
Parents can really be instrumental in setting the tone for the child who is on the cusp of transitioning to a new environment. Encouragement and speaking enthusiastically about an upcoming transition can be vital in reassuring the child that good things will ensue. It also provides the extra reassurance the child needs to feel more at ease with the change of routine.
Over the course of two decades I have identified some helpful tactics to facilitate the process of transitions. I always recommend that parents visit the new environment with their child in several ways.
Firstly, for families new to the school I recommend driving by the building at different times prior to the start of school, and enthusiastically pointing it out to the child and telling them how excited you are that this is their new school.
Secondly, make an informal visit to watch the activity of the classroom from the observation window with the child pointing out all the activities you observe together.
Thirdly, schedule a set time to visit the class and meet the teacher. Typically a classroom visit is 30 - 40 minutes. If the child is happy to do so, it is preferable for the parent or teacher to wait outside the new classroom.
Students already enrolled and moving from the Pre-Primary to the Primary environment should visit the new classroom for a few minutes each day for up to a month prior to the actual start date. A gradual preparation helps the child feel comfortable with the new surroundings, whilst still providing the comfort and support of their familiar teachers and classroom.
Another major change for Primary students is wearing the school uniform. Uniforms can help reduce some "power struggles" with children that are exercising their "free will' right around the age of 3 years. There is little to argue about if the "wardrobe" is already predetermined!
On a practical level, a uniform can help support the child's independence of dressing and handling potty breaks at school as it facilitates ease of removal and permits the child to feel successful in taking care of his or her needs.
The Primary environment thrives on consistency, routine and order. The importance of arriving on time for class is of great influence. The activities of the day are frequently established during morning circle time. Students often feel self conscious and have difficulty separating from a parent when entering an environment that is already up and running. Most teachers like to do group work activities at morning circle time such as calendar, welcome songs and give each child a turn to talk about themselves. This "sharing" time helps to reinforce the students' role in the classroom and nurture a sense of belonging and ownership in the classroom. Students missing out on this sensitive part of the day can experience more difficulty integrating into the work cycle once it has already started.
The Primary years are the start of a long path of discovery and conquest for the child, and in Dr. Montessori's own words "Great tact and delicacy are needed for the care of the mind of a child between the ages of three to six years; the role of the adult in the child's life is to support the great potential that lies ahead of each child.
In service,
Anita Ercole
COMMUNITY SERVICE
The children of BMS helped spread the holiday cheer by singing carols and bringing greeting cards and cookies that they had made for the folks at the residence. It was evident that the children brought great joy to the residents who were delighted by their performance. All in all it was a very rewarding experience!
November's Food Drive Success! Thank you!
Winter Concert
Date Night
Playground Update
Inclement Weather Policy
In all events, BMS will communicate any potential closures via email and FB by 9:00 p.m. the evening prior, to confirm the school decision. BMS has a closed FB page. If you are not already a member, please inquire to join in order to receive updates.
School Wellness Policy
After School Extra Curricular Activities
Are you Interested in activities for your child? We offer a variety of after school activities for different age levels including: soccer, dance, Tae Kwan Do, art, Lego robotics, and music classes at Bach to Rock. Stop by the front office at any time for more information about these opportunities.
Mt. Kim Martial Arts- Taekwondo
Joy of Dance- Ballet and Tap Class
Kids and Masters Art Class
Parent Advisory Committee
We are so grateful to the members of our Parent Advisory Committee for all their help in planning events and providing vital feedback to the school about topics parents are interested in. These parents contribute in many ways with their time, resources and expertise. They are your parent representatives and look forward to hearing from you if you have matters of concern or great ideas to share that can improve the experience for families and students at our school. If you are interested in participating with this community in the future, please let us know.
Current Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) members: Jennifer McCarthy (Joey and Juliet- 105), Camille Baker (Leili- 109), Susan Givens (Silas- 108), Amy Dorn (Mace- 109), Amy Hinds (Gabrielle- 103), Jessica Balmos (Knox- 109), Jessica Struve (Owen & Waverly- 102), Katie Lane (Camden & Charlotte- 105), Mia Leone (Leo- 103), Liz Noel (Emma- 108), Niki Weinberg (Parker- 108), and Shoshani Dike (Solomon- 108)
Tuition is due by the first of each month.
A few photos from our Thanksgiving Luncheon
Ms. Amy's room 108
Siblings visiting
Ms. Katherine's room 109
We are thankful for all our BMS families!
Ms. Mary's room 103
Ms. Sabina's room 105
Ms. Ashley's room 104
BMS Community Businesses
We are proud to showcase any of our BMS Community companies and hope that we can all benefit from buying and supporting local business! We will gladly pass on your recommendations. Thanks for all your support!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM OUR FAMILIES TO YOURS!
Contact Us
Email: info@bristowmontessori.com
Website: www.bristowmontessori.com
Location: 9050 Devlin Road, Bristow, VA, United States
Phone: 703-468-1191
Facebook: FaceBook.com/BristowMontessoriSchool