Welcome to a new year at Children’s House everyone! It is so great to be back, surrounded by these incredible children every day! After 39 years, I still am in love with what I get to do each day and that is because of the wonderful friendships that your children and you bring to my life.

     As you all know, a week ago Friday was International Day of Peace and it was delightful! Your children sang their hearts out! They also bonded with their buddy or buddies for this school year. Such sweetness! As you can see on our bulletin board, there wasn't a pair who didn't instantly put their arms around each other! My heart was warmed and my jaw hurt from smiling! We seriously have the kindest group of children ever this year.

Right now, as you read this, I am enjoying our oldest students in the beauty of Yosemite National Park! Our Upper Elementary Class of 4th -6th graders rotate each Fall between a week in either Yosemite, Catalina or Idyllwild (AstroCamp). This year I chose to join the group of students and teacher and parent chaperones for 5 glorious days in the Yosemite Valley. Look forward to the bulletin board next month to see our adventures.

I hope you all have been settling into the school year. If you ever have any questions or concerns or just want to chat, please catch me anytime! Also, it is not too late to join the Montessori Parent Course that is being offered one night a month in SLO. If you have even one or two of those evenings free, you will be so glad you came!

All the best and many thanks for being a part of our CHMS family. I am so grateful that you are here.

“Developing Independence”

“…as soon as independence has been reached, the adult who keeps on helping has become an obstacle…” -Dr. Montessori 

The 6-9 sensitive period of development is all about independence. In the Lower El classroom, our motivation to build the skills that allow us to work unassisted is the reward of the freedom to make our own work choices, work at our own pace, and express ourselves and our ideas in our own ways. A child’s declaration of independence (or to desire to have) is his first step in taking ownership of his learning and greater control of his life. We began this year reading Jean George’s My Side of the Mountain, the story of a boy who takes the concept of self-sufficiency to a whole new level (see student-constructed replica of Sam’s tree home in photo). We support a child’s desire for independence when we prioritize the process over the product. A poorly (but independently) tied shoelace is far more rewarding than the most secure double-knot tied by a teacher. And there is nothing that fills a child with pride more than telling a grown-up, “I can do this myself now!”