This past week, the elementary and junior high students hosted their first Museum of Montessori Art Parent & Child Adventure!  It was a huge success and I, for one, am so thankful for the incredible turnout. 

Over the past couple of months, the children have been preparing for this event by creating beautiful pieces of art.  The children, ages 6-14, created art ranging from the styles of Impressionism to Street Art. 

The range of work was phenomenal.  The children really enjoyed learning about different artists and what inspired them.  Years ago, when I studied music professionally, I remember how I felt when I found a piece that seemed to reflect who I was as a person and how I was feeling at a particular time in my life.  I believe that this is what our students have felt like as they have studied different artists.  They seemingly connect with an artist or a particular style of art and become inspired.  I can personally state that there is nothing better than observing a child who is inspired.  The attention to detail, the care for the work, the personal investment – it really takes your breath away.
 

When I first began at The Montessori Academy, I remember looking so forward to January and February when my students would begin creating their Windfall project.  I looked at that time as a time when our classroom community would work on creating something beautiful together.  I had decided early on in my tenure here, that our project would be a reflection of the culture or continent we were studying that year.  By doing this, I was able to integrate the visual, kinesthetic and musical arts into our daily learning. 

More recently, I began exploring and integrating art into our curriculum as a means to building community.  When we can create together, we can work through conflict together, as well.  As I have lost the ability to play my violin and express myself through my music, I have become much more passionate about expressing myself through art and more importantly, the teaching of art in the classroom. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is much to be learned about how our children learn.  We may never know what truly inspires a child – what drives them to do more, be more, learn more.  This is why it is important to open a child’s eyes to the many possibilities that are out there.  

 

 

                

I am so excited for Tuesday, November 20, because it is on this day that we will assemble our community art project – something that is a reflection of our individual selves and our community family, as well.  It is hard to imagine a more powerful statement of what it means to be a part of The Montessori Academy at Edison Lakes. 

 

 

 

 

Submitted by: Kathy Kolata

Books & Burgers

What: Fundraiser

When: Friday, Oct 26

Where: Five Guys & Barnes & Noble (University Park Mall)

A percentage of all sales that day come back to school! ANYONE can participate!

See special codes below:

FIVE GUYS - Just tell them you are with TMA

BARNES & NOBLES: Either provide B&N coupon

(found on website, in weekly memo or at front desk)

OR

for online sales, use code 10906824.

(online promotion extended to Oct. 31)

Don't forget to pick up your Scrip at the front office before you head over.

It provides the school an additional percentage!

 

Chili Time

IT’S THAT TIME!

WHAT TIME?

CHILI TIME!

 

 

WHEN:  TUES., OCT. 16

WHERE: TMA GYM

TIME: 6 P.M.

Grab the whole family and join the UE staff for a Chili Night in the Gym!

 

The teachers will provide the chili and we’re asking the families to round out the meal.                                          

 

If your name begins A-M, please bring a salad, relish or vegetable, and if your name comes after, please bring something ‘yummy’ to end the meal.

 

 

Following dinner we’ll declare “Open Gym”!

 

For a head count, please RSVP as soon as possible.

Camp Eberhart 2012

Back to school with the upper elementary children is always a great bonding time. What a great way for our 5^th and 6^th year children to welcome and embrace their new family members, the 4^th year and ‘new to the school’ children. We go to Camp Eberhart in Three Rivers, Michigan, at the beginning of every school year. The children spend two days and one night in Leighton Lodge on beautiful Corey Lake. There is much excitement on the bus when we leave from the school. All of the children must carry their own bedding and backpacks onto the bus. This year was an exceptional year! The children had it down to a science. I don’t think any sleeping bags fell apart as the children squeezed onto the bus.

There are always many activities and classes run by counselors who come from all over the world to work at Camp Eberhart. One class, “Birds of a Feather”, allowed the children to be detectives and discover what some birds eat as a regular diet. By dissecting sterilized owl vomit, the children put together skeletons and match them to pictures that explained what the delicious diet had been. After some ‘yuck’ moments, everyone thought this was really cool! They also played a game where they used kitchen tongs as beaks and tried to catch ‘fish’ as they swam or rather rolled by their feet. Standing on one foot, symbolizing a crane, made it very funny and challenging.

 
‘Edible Plants’ landed the children by the lake and into the woods for samplings of vegetation that Native Americans and colonists had eaten. Poisonous ones were also sought out for a history lesson. Did you know that Abraham Lincoln’s mother died from ‘milk sickness’? Her milk cow had eaten one of these deadly plants in the field, and when Mrs. Lincoln drank some milk, she became ill and passed away. The children also made tea from some of the plants.


‘Group Dynamics’ presented a timed, problem solving game that kept being played over and over again for a better finishing time as the children planned together new strategies.

 

Rock climbing was a thrill for all. A large stationary wall was used as well as a moving wall. Needless to say, more children excelled on the stationary wall. A few brave souls did tackle the moving wall with some success.

The waterfront held many activities that the children could travel to in groups at their leisure. Tubing, swimming, jumping off Coop’s Tower, and archery were enjoyed on both days. Archery brought out the best in everyone. Believe me, it’s harder than it looks! Keeping the arrow on the bow and making it to the target can be challenging. Canoeing was also on the water front. Everyone partnered up, and after a training lesson, off the children went with a counselor following in another canoe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A camp fire with stories and songs, smores, and a night walk without flashlights was a perfect ending for our first day at camp. Then, the real fun began! Spending the night in Leighton Lodge is always a thrill! You will have to ask an upper elementary student for the details!

The bus going to camp was a noisy experience with very excited children, eager to have fun. Coming back home at the end of the second day was a much quieter experience. After the fun of camp, sleep came very easily to many. We left for camp to bond with our new friends, as well as to re-establish old friendships, and came home with our upper elementary family ready for the new school year.