Our Natural Playground is Almost Here!

Last week, we gathered around the good folks from The Natural Playground Company and CMA parent and volunteer Eric Hynes to thank them for all of their good work. on our new playground. The thank you and send off for the men all the way from New Hampshire was fun and exciting for all of us. Following the thank-yous and the send off, the gentlemen told us that in all the schools they have been to they have never been thanked! They were touched by the children's heartfelt messages. One of those big burly guys actually had a tear welling up in one of his eyes.

The playground is now ready for hydro-seeding and due to the rainy weather will that seeding will not be able to be done until Monday. Following the seeding, we will have to wait 6-8 weeks and wait for the the new grass to be strong enough to handle the traffic of our student body.

Thanks to all of those who have made this project possible. This started off as a dream several years ago and it is so exciting to see it becoming a reality.

Our First Day of School

The first day of school is certainly one of the best days of the year. The excitement that surrounds a new chapter in life seems to be felt by everyone in our learning community. From a child's perspective there are discoveries ahead and friendships to be nurtured. From the adult perspective we watch with awe as our children pass another milestone. Our hearts fill with pride as they rise to the occasions ahead of them. At the same time there can be a piece of our hearts that aches as we let our children go on to new and exciting experiences and challenges. Today the children began the work of forming their new learning communities, reviewing our routines, and making new discoveries. Thanks for a wonderful first day. Here is to a wonderful and new school year!

New Playground Groundbreaking

The Natural Playground will soon be a reality! Earlier this evening we held our ceremonial groundbreaking for our new playground. The ceremonial ribbon cutting is pictured above. Our ribbon cutters were Rich Bohon (CMA Board Treasurer), Mason Dubay (CMA student), Anneliese Clear (CMA Board President), Gillian Clear (CMA student). Gwen McFarlin (Springfield Township Trustee) and Laura Saylor (CMA Principal). The evenings events included a few words from CMA leadership, our distinguished guest Gwen McFarlin, a ceremonial fist dig by Gillian Clear and some light refreshments. For more information on Natural playgrounds click here. To view additional photos, please click on photos below.

Mr. C's BIG Surprise

On Friday, June 3rd, the CMA community surprised Cesar with a retirement party. The venture was organized by both the Arellano family and the CMA family. When he and his family drove up the school driveway to stop and play on our playground, they were greeted by dozens of current and former CMA community members! Throughout the evening over 200 guests stopped in to wish Cesar the happiest of retirements! The evening inlcuded a tree dedication and a wonderful speech by our Mr. C.To see more photos from the evening, please click here.

The Kids' Flying Pig

CMA’s Runners Shine!

CMA students and friends ran for the 3^rd consecutive year in The Flying Pig Kids’ Marathon. In being a part of this event they were exposed to experiences in choosing fitness, fun, and healthy habits.

Our Marathoners were a part of the real Flying Pig Marathon by finishing their 26th marathon mile on Saturday, May 5, 2012 during the Flying Pig Kids' Marathon Final Mile event at Cincinnati’s Riverfront. After logging 25 miles during the past several months, they covered their last mile on the actual Flying Pig Marathon course and cross the real “Finish Swine.” They received a finisher’s shirt, a marathon medal and all the goodies of the finish celebration.

We are proud of our CMA runners and thank Miss Kristin for all of her hard wok in leading the organization of the events! They all have shown us how to live out the motto of The Kids' Flying Pig Marathon: Be Smart, Eat Well and Move More!

You and you child can visit The Nutrition Council’s website www.nutritioncouncil.org to learn more about healthy choices in eating.

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.

CMA's Open House

Our annual Open House was one of the most successful Open Houses we have had in the past few years. Prospective families began arriving at our school at 12:45, fifteen minutes before we were scheduled to start! The constant flow of newcomers to our school did not relent until 3:45. Many of the families remarked about finding out about us via our recent marketing efforts with Cincinnati Family Magazine (Special thanks to Anneliese Clear for heading up this effort!) and some direct mail pieces we recently sent out while others heard from us by word of mouth. Regardless of how they heard of us or the age of their children, they had one thing in common. They were each searching for a learning environment that would provide an educational experience for their child that would work with how their child learns best. They were looking for a school and for teachers that would inspire in their child the desire to learn and to discover, the development of their child's creative thought processes, and the self-discipline to approach life's challenges and opportunities. Our visitors were able to meet many current CMA parents and learn from them why they have chosen CMA for their children. Our CMA students modeled their wonderful work habits and their joyful scholarship. And of course, our amazing faculty and staff shared their knowledge and warmly opened their doors to the visiting children and families. Thanks to all those who helped make this Open House one to remember!

Presenting at CMA

On Monday, our Upper Elementary students presented their work and research on the United States of America. At first glance this might seem to be a mere sharing of projects they have worked on. In reality though it is a long worked on and practiced skill as well as a valuable assessment tool. Even our young children present to us every day. Often times you will hear a Montessori teacher say to a child, "Tell me about"... or "Show me..." or even "Can you create...?" In a child's response to these questions a secret power is revealed. When a child presents to us they are owning their own learning and solidifying what they know both in depth and in scope. It is true for us as adults also. When we present something, we become more expert at it. The same is true for kids. Presenting also serves as an assessment tool. Through observing and evaluating the children's presentations we are able to discover not only what they know, but also if they can apply their knowledge, draw conclusions from it and connect it to other learning they have acquired. With this in mind, I invite you all to have your child (young or old) present something to you.

Spelling Bee at CMA

We had our first school-wide Spelling Bee earlier this month! Tracie Gooley, the 9-12 teacher, organized and conducted the championship bee. The two winning class representatives from each of the elementary class rooms competed in the school bee. Those representative are pictured above. (Kennedy, Zoe, Miles, Peter, Emma and Maya) We are proud of how everyone did! The champion word was "uncouth" spelled by fifth grader Emma Hynes. The next step is for Emma to take an online test to quality for the local city Spelling Bee. We'll keep you up to date on her progress! Way to go, CMA kids!

Working Together

As you may have noticed, the Montessori learning environment is very different than the traditional classroom setting. This is true not just in the physical environment but also in how the children engage in learning with their teachers and with each other. Students are encouraged to work together. Unlike a more traditional teaching approach, the teacher does not provide every answer the child is looking for. Children are encouraged to discover answers for themselves. They often find a peer to guide them on their search. This collaboration teaches children how to cooperate with their classmates and builds a bond of inter-dependence not typically seen in more traditional classrooms. Our students become skilled in working independently and in collaborating with others. These types of skills will help them succeed not only in their education but also in their lives!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year everyone! We hope you had a wonderful winter break with your children. We are so happy to have them back with us. As I walked through the classrooms today I was astounded with the kids focus and enthusiasm. It seems that they were ready to get back to work and back to their routines and friends. Thanks again for sharing them with us. Stay tuned to this blog for 2011 upcoming events and pictures of your children.

Thank You for Your Generosity

Dear CMA Students, Families and Community:

On behalf of all of us at Central Montessori Academy, I would like to say thank you to each of you for your support and generosity during this Holiday Season. Here are some of the highlights of your generosity:

• Our community raised $146.96 for our Pennies for Peace Campaign.
• Many area families were able to have a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner.
• Our families contributed so generously to our staff holiday fund that each CMA staff and team member received a $100.00 gift card to Target.
• Our fundraising and development efforts have been very successful due to your participation.
• Our classrooms received wonderful gifts form you and your children during today's gift ceremony.

Have a wonderful holiday season and winter break. All of us at CMA all look forward to seeing you and your children in the new year!

Laura

An Article by Our Very Own Miss Kristin

Pictured above Nate, Emma and Fin show off some very large leaves found as they explored the natural areas of CMA's backyard. Kristin Patterson, one of our Lower Elementary teachers, has written an article about her observations of the children in CMA's backyard. Her article is complete with children's photos. drawings, maps and quotes. To read her article click here. To download and print her article click here. Thanks for your good work Miss Kristin!

The Sensorial Area

The sensorial areas of the classrooms in the early childhood programs at CMA are more than just building blocks and color sorting.

The purpose and aim of the works in the sensorial area is for the child to acquire clear, conscious, information and to be able to then make classifications with the work and the material. This work does not just produce a built tower or organized color pattern, but also produces in the child a way of thinking, a system for organizing information and classifying new learning.

This work is more important for young children than ever. The amount of new information that comes to children in this day and age is much more than previous generations experienced. Children who have developed a system of thinking, organizing and clarifying information will be much better suited to the navigation of unending information streams and determining how to organize and classify all that they experience.

Thanksgiving 2010

McKenna and Tracie stopping for a picture during the 6th grade shopping trip to purchase Thanksgiving food for families in need.

This Thanksgiving season at CMA has been marked by the children’s generosity and enthusiasm for giving back to their community.

The pre-primary sponsored a food drive and collected over 173 pounds of canned goods and non-perishable items for families in our community. The Mt. Healthy Food Alliance, which served 376 families in this area in October, gratefully accepted the children’s gift on Friday of last week.

The Upper Elementary raised over $400.00 with a successful breakfast event last week. The Upper Elementary students and their families provided baked morning treats. Coffee was provided by the Blue Ash Starbucks and was served up by barista, Melody Cassada. These funds more than covered the expense of providing two very full and bountiful boxes of thanksgiving goods and fixings. The sixth graders accompanied their teachers to the North College Hill Kroger where they shopped for the best prices and nest produce to maximize the donations given at the breakfast event.

Our entire CMA community rallied around these events and supported our kids in making a difference in the world. Thanks to each of you for making our kids successful in giving back to their community.

Most of all, thanks to each of you for sharing yourselves and your children with us every day. Your children are the most precious of gifts and we count ourselves as blessed that they have entered our lives. Thanks to all of you who in small ways and large help in making CMA the wonderful school and community that it is.

An Integrated Curriculum

Classrooms at CMA are organized into several curriculum areas, which include language arts mathematics and geometry, practical life, sensorial development, geography, history, science, art, music, and movement. Each area is made up of one or more shelves with a wide variety of materials on display and ready for use. CMA’s curriculum is organized into a spiral of integrated studies, rather than a traditional model in which the curriculum is compartmentalized into separate subjects. Our course of study uses an integrated thematic approach that ties the separate disciplines of the curriculum together into studies of the physical universe, the world of nature, and the human experience. This integrated approach is one of Montessori’s great strengths. For instance, in the photo of the snack table above, you may notice that choosing snack at CMA offers an experience that contains nutrition education, development of independence and sequencing skills, social skills practice, one-to one correspondence, and recognizing one’s name in print. As a further example, please follow this link to see a video book about the life cycle of a rock created by one of our students. She even took it a step further and produced this video book in Spanish. This work allows her to further develop he scientific knowledge, story writing and telling, and Spanish skills. The bonus is that through her produced wok we can assess these areas and determine her next steps in learning.

Going Out

"Going Out" is a Montessori phrase we use in reference to field trips and related to the children's acquisition of culture. Montessori believed that the elementary aged child was developmentally suited to learn from activities outside the school building, in the thick of the society, the culture, and the natural world. Elementary teachers, emphasize such things as fossil hunting field trips, as well as other field trip activities, to teach children that the source of all knowledge is human curiosity about the world we live in. Pictured above is a photo of the Upper Elementary children at the Johnny Appleseed monument at Spring Grove Cemetery. The children go to the cemetery annually for an educational scavenger hunt that guides them through our local history and botany.

The Moveable Alphabet

The moveable alphabets are often in use at CMA, particularly in the pre-primary classrooms. It is a wonderful work because it allows children the opportunity to compose words and to express themselves. For example, while many children may be mentally prepared to write, they may not have the fine motor skills needed to actually write down words, sentences or stories with a pencil and paper. With the moveable alphabet, a child can select the sound or letter they need to compose a word, eventually working towards writing an entire sentence or even story. Not only does the movable alphabet aid the child in composing words at and early age, practicing with it is a precursor to reading. Once a child has composed a word, it becomes easier for them to read it from another source.

What Are Natural Playgrounds?

This excperpt is form The Natural Playground Website:

"If you’ve ever climbed trees, rolled down hills, scrambled up rocks, made mud pies, dammed up water, hid in grass, played house in bushes, built snow forts, dug in sand, played in dirt, planted seeds, jumped in leaves, tracked animals, or had fun outside in other, similar ways, you’ve experienced natural play.

Our unique design process helps our playground designers work with you to combine landscape elements, movement corridors, sun paths, weather patterns, drainage courses, plant groupings, and other site amenities with carefully chosen natural materials, structures, and features to create safe, accessible, age-appropriate play, social, and learning opportunities in natural play areas that look and feel like they’ve been there forever."

We hope to see you at The Natural Playgrounds Meeting today after school. Please let us know if you will be attending and if you need childcare.