Montessori Matters

January 17, 2020

Tidbits about Tech, Tots, and Teens (Just thoughts to ponder...)

Tidbits about Tech, Tots, and Teens (Just thoughts to ponder...)

By now, everyone has heard about the dangers of too much technology time for toddlers, children, adults, and yes – even senior citizens! We ALL know how addictive it is!


I know this and yet … I am addicted to it as well. Senior citizen as I am – it keeps me far too sedentary presumably “relaxing” after a long day at the office. Ha! Yet – it is hard to put down: just one more podcast, TED Talk, Toon Blast, check up on Facebook, check on my dog’s latest allergy symptoms with vetstreet.com.


So this is my soapbox I promised I would never get on when I used to hear it from my grandparents: “Well, in my day…“ (Wonder if there is an evolutionary and happiness advantage to this viewpoint.)


But here goes: Well, in my day… there was only one channel that didn’t start until 5 pm with Kukla, Fran, and Ollie and we finished up a Friday evening with “I Remember Mama” – limiting our “media” time to once a week and for a half hour at a time.

Tidbits about Tech, Tots, and Teens (Just thoughts to ponder...)
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By the time my own children came along, there were at least three to six channels but a lot more hours. Restricting their watching time was still easy; we generally watched together as a family in the den (no TV’s in bedrooms yet). We all shared one telephone and when teenager years rolled around, that’s when things got a bit testy. Talking time had to be limited among five of us AND the one telephone was in the kitchen WHERE ALL COULD HEAR. What a blessing – right?!


OK… so 2020. Over 50 TV channels on 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, iPads, laptops, smartphones, smartwatches, nonstop biased news (no matter which channel you watch), Hulu, Vudu, Xboxes, Nintendos, and I realize anyway – that we have entered a “twilight zone” of no return.

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Neil Postman reflected on Brave New World: “As Huxley saw it, people will come to love their oppression, to adore the technologies that undo their capacities to think.”


And I would add as a Montessorian, to even see, smell, touch, taste, hear at the capacity that we are capable of, all five of our senses depend on interaction in some way with a three-dimensional world.


- Karen Holt

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Dates to Remember

Remember that you can always check the MSA website calendar for upcoming calendar events.


January 20 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day - no school, extended day only

January 21 - SCISA Math Competition

January 28 - Food, Family, and Philosophy event on campus at 5:30 PM

February 6 - High School internships

February 6 - Spring Benefit Meeting at 5:30 PM

April 25 - Escape to Kokomo - Spring Benefit & Auction

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Escape to Kokomo

This past Friday each family should have received a Spring Benefit ticket to sell or purchase. We need the support of all in order to have a successful event! Proceeds from the Spring Benefit help fund our tuition assistance program. This is our biggest fundraiser of the year, so if you would like to help organize our "Escape to Kokomo," please join our meeting on February 6 at 5:30 in the Middle School classroom. #MSATogether
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Nurse's Notes

Nurse's Notes

Brrrrrrrrr, winter weather is officially here! This is just a reminder that with the change of seasons, please remember to send appropriate winter weather clothing with your student to school. Montessori must follow strict guidelines on outdoor play during the winter months, and it is crucial if your child is to participate in outdoor play that he/she has the needed hat, gloves, mittens and coat and closed toe shoes to make it a safe outdoor experience.


Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.


Susanna Merriman, RN

Nurse's Notes

Jace Coleson Lockhart

Please join us in congratulating Amber Lockhart and her husband Craig in welcoming their first child, Jace Coleson Lockhart, born at 7:47 PM on January 19, 2020. He weighed 5lbs 15oz and was 19in long. Everyone is doing wonderfully!
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Ship It Day

Students in Upper Elementary through High School participated in Ship It Day on Friday. During Ship It Day, each student or small group of students selects a project that they can begin and complete within twenty-four hours, and they present their result to their peers at the end of the day. Projects are tasks that students are mostly unfamiliar with, a chance to learn something new. Student projects ranged from sewing a dress, building an Eiffel Tower out of noodles, composing a duet medley of Lord of the Rings scores, crafting a city skyline out of recyclable materials, baking cakes and brownies and cooking healthy, low-carb foods, to crafting a bench dedicated to Mrs. Holt for the peace garden and amphitheater, with many more as well. Enjoy some photos from the event by visiting this photo gallery.
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Infant Works

Students get valuable experience with Montessori works even at the infant level. These infants are learning to walk using a chair for balance, making new friends during tummy time, and learning that objects still exist when they cannot be seen using the object permanence box. For several more photos from the infant classroom this week, see this gallery.

Strings Class

Students had fun in strings class this week with Mrs. Martin. Students begin to practice holding string instruments at the riser level in Primary before playing instruments at the upper levels.
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First Play Practice

The children held the first play practice for Annie JR. this week consisting of a read-through of lines and musical numbers. The students are excited to get to work!
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Meet Melissa Buchanan, Director of Admissions for Infant/Toddler

Meet Melissa Buchanan, Director of Admissions for Infant/Toddler

Email: mbuchanan@msasc.org


About me:

I have lived in SC all my life, and in the Pendleton area for 49 years. I live on property that has been in our family for many generations. I have been married for 35 years with two children and three grandchildren who are my heart. I am a country/southern girl and love who I am. Now that my children are grown my husband and I have a cat named Mittens who is very spoiled.


My education/experience:

  • Pendleton High School, Class of '80
  • Attended Tri County Tech
  • I wanted to work with children more than finishing Tech, so I began my childhood experience in '91.
  • I came to MSA in August of 1996.
  • Received my I/T Associate Degree in New York at CMTE in 2000.


My favorite things:

  • Book/Movie - Love old and holiday movies
  • Color - Pink
  • Food/Snack - Diet Dr. Pepper/anything with peanut butter
  • Sport/Team - Gamecocks!
  • Activity/Hobby - Crafting, vintage shopping
  • Vacation spot - Beach!
  • Your favorite thing about teaching at MSA - I love letting the children develop at their own pace and seeing the light in their eyes when they get it!
Meet Melissa Buchanan, Director of Admissions for Infant/Toddler
Montessori School of Anderson

Montessori School of Anderson

Our mission is to nurture the whole child, physically, intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually, preparing students for academic excellence, lifelong learning and responsible, caring lives.
280 Sam McGee Road, Anderson, SC, USA mdabney@msasc.org 864-226-5344 msasc.org