Our Spring Performance features the premier of ”Life-Lights,”  an original dance and live music production exploring the energy and life cycles of local plants and animals and man’s interconnection to the environment.  The Junior Elementary class will portray the story with unique lighting and dance techniques.

The evening will also feature singing with our Primary students, elementary Spanish classes, recorder students, 5th and 6th year songwriters and a special presentation.

All are welcome to enjoy dessert following the program.

Join us for Mountaineer Montessori School’s Discussion Group/Book Club series for current and potential parents kicks off on Monday February 11 at 5:30 p.m. in the school library. MMS faculty member Fran West will lead our exploration of the history, philosophy and practice of Montessori education.  The sessions are 5:30-6:30PM

Feb.11 The Woman and the Movement

Mar. 4 The Method: A Framework for Understanding

Mar. 18 The Learner

April 8 The Learning Environment

April 22 The Teacher

May 6 Making the School Work

May 20 Putting It All Together

5 Aug 2011, Posted by Daniel

Daniel C. Petter-Lipstein is the father of three children that thrive at a Jewish Montessori school in New Jersey. He graduated from Harvard College and Columbia Law School and after a decade still finds satisfaction as a lawyer. But sometimes he wishes he could just take a month off and audit his daughter’s 4-6th grade Montessori upper elementary class where they are learning about stellar nucleosynthesis and creating their own marble games.

Daniel created, wrote and narrated his own animation based on his article, “Superwoman Was Already Here”. He also inspired Trevor Eissler to create the acclaimed “Montessori Madness” animation which has been translated into Russian and French versions and is also scheduled to be translated into Spanish and Italian.

Watch the brief video below highlighting differences between Montessori and traditional education.

Maria Montessori was born in Italy on August 31, 1870. She was born to a well- respected family and was expected to grow up to fulfill the traditional role of the Italian woman. Instead she pursued an advanced degree at the University of Rome and became the first woman physician to graduate in Italy. Her interests drew her to work with children, initially those who were disadvantaged and had special needs.

As a scientist, Montessori’s decisions about working with children were made by observing them first. She was not trained as an educator and thus her decisions were based upon watching what children did and what they were attracted to. Through her observations and trial and error, she developed what became known as the Montessori Method of education. It was a radical departure in Montessori’s own time. She did not place children in restricting environments, but instead designed the environment to reflect the children. Tables and chairs were child-sized and materials were placed on low shelves to be readily accessible to the students. In addition, many of the skills were designed to teach children how to become more independent and do things for themselves.

Montessori continued throughout her life to work for the betterment of the lives of children, founding training centers for teachers and dispersing this philosophy of education throughout the world. Having survived two world wars, her focus in her later years became centered around educating children to promote the principles of peace. Her legacy has been the establishment of Montessori schools around the world, which promote the cause of the child as a citizen of the world.