CMA’s Toddlers Graduate!

At first, having a graduation ceremony for toddlers might seem a little odd.

But then again, the earliest years of life are when most important development and growth occurs. Thinking of the capabilities of our graduating toddlers, reminds me of the accomplishments they have made since their earliest days. While, their “education” has not yet been that of a highly aware learner, it has been more important than any other part of their development.

Here is a run down of their most amazing achievements:

· They can walk, run, climb and jump.

· They take things apart and put them back together.

· They can and want to do many things independently.

· They have begun to learn to share.

· They can now wait for their turn.

· They have developed a great sense of humor.

· They can sing and dance and even talk in sentences.

· They can “read” a book and “tell” a “story” based on the images inside.

· They have acquired a vocabulary of over 1,000 words.

· They can share affection and kindness with others.

The toddler’s graduation is a celebration of all these children have accomplished in their first few years. This celebration is as much for them as it is for the adults who have played a role in their development: the teachers, parents, extended family and caregivers. Supporting a young child’s growth during these busy and demanding years is an important achievement for them too. CONGRATULATIONS to our graduating toddlers as well as to their teachers, parents and grandparents!

A busy time of year!

You might say it all started with the Open House. This spring season has brought so much energy, change and renewal; that we are just now catching up with ourselves! In March, we had the Cincinnati Montessori Society Conference . This regional conference featured more than CMA's share of educators as presenters and organizers. Our CMA staff attended the event with a dozen teachers attending the Alfi Kohn keynote and a variety of the breakout workshop sessions. Laura and Mark Presented on Education for a New World and created a blog as a resource tool for its participants, which is now a suggested resource to some of Xavier University's intern classes. The following weekend brought the CMA book fair at Barnes & Noble. The photo above shows a very spec ail story being read by Cara Dubay, with her daughter Maryn assisting and Mason charming the listeners. The next photo is of the Simapreet, Rohanjit and mom as they listen closely to the story. After our spring break, we had the annual CMA sleepover with a record 50+ participants. Many thanks to the staff members who worked so hard and long to make this event a success for the kids. And now we find ourselves in the middle of April with the many springtime activities, events and rituals. Be sure to follow the Upcoming Events on the left side of the blog for the latest and greatest on theses events.