A kind and gentle North Austin community school
An often overlooked aspect of the Montessori Method is the control of error built into many Montessori works. The design of the work is such that the child learns from their mistakes. By so doing, the child must work through corrections until success is achieved. After repetition of these tasks, the young child is able […]
Getting ready for our Day of the Dead discussion/celebration, this morning we decorated our calaveras…. full-body style.
Special thanks to a parent volunteer for coming on Friday to help our young students carve some special, spooky HMS pumpkins. We learned a lot about seeds, being careful and “pumpkin goo.”
Last week, we installed a “Painting Glass” on the playground. This lets our young students be creative in a fun environment. They are able to use large brushes and, when done, wet the glass and squeegee off the paint–a lesson on the temporary nature of life’s moments.
One of the domains of a Montessori classroom is Practical Life, in which students learn and practice day-to-day skills such as pouring, buttoning, sorting, cleaning and more. One such skill is washing objects. To go with the season, our current washing work is a skull. This morning Khuloud demonstrated the steps involved (see photo below). Parents, […]
Today in Art, several of our older students began making a map of their very own island! First, the young artists heard a story for inspiration… Then they discussed some ideas for their own island… And then they designed their own islands. There may be treasures or docks or some obstacles to avoid. Who knows what we’ll […]
After the long weekend, our young scholars came right back to work, enjoying all of their surroundings.
This week Ms Laura came back to join us. Here are some pictures of some of our youngest greeting her violin with awe and care, and listening intently to a familiar tune played by Ms Laura. Our students also practiced clapping rhythms and moving along with the music.
After a summer break, this week we’re back at school to find that the school has less walls! We’re enjoying working in our large classroom.
Maria Montessori referred to the learning materials as “works,” in reference to the activity involved and how movement and learning are interconnected. Last week many Austinites rejoiced that “school’s out” but here at Highland Montessori we are still loving our works! No summer camps for our hard-working students… at least until the end of the […]
Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this weekend’s storms. Aside from a very muddy playground, the weekend storms spared HMS. We are grateful to be on the high side of the ditch that runs beside school. Our only casualty was a young sycamore tree that was bent after Saturday and broken after Monday… In the […]
This morning, one of our student’s mom came to visit and she brought some conch shells that they have collected. We learned that the shells are home to a snail that is an herbivore. When living in the ocean, they may be eaten by blue crabs, rays and some kinds of sharks. People can eat the […]