We are looking forward to meeting with you all individually for SLP meetings in the coming two weeks, and then of course we are very excited about the first gathering of our student community on Monday, September 17th. Our projected move into new space in an adjacent building in November provides us with some ideal opportunities for Occupations, or work projects, both indoors and out. We have begun to receive student interest forms back from some of you and are starting to get a feel for what you will be interested in pursuing in the coming year. (For those who haven’t sent those forms in—we await them eagerly!) We are beginning to wrestle the current SVEC Library space into some kind of interim classroom. We are also finishing up our summer-long course with Jenny and Polly on the Montessori Elementary curriculum, which has been fascinating, and very well facilitated.
We’d like to give you all a heads-up about what we are planning to provide in terms of curriculum. We do this with the understanding that we do not know yet now where the students’ individual and collective interests might lead them over the coming year. There are so many firsts for all of us this year that we will need to proceed slowly and cautiously. However, we do have an academic plan, outlined below, based on our Montessori Adolescent Syllabus (reproduced at the end of this communication).
The following plan we call Stage One, which encompasses our time away from our new space. This period may last until Thanksgiving. The schedule below is for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. But we encourage you all to think of the whole week and the whole Syllabus as we make our plans together.
Communal work in AM: Three hour work blocks in AM: 9-12 AM:
I. The beginning of a two year cycle, The Study of Nature, which proceeds from Self to Cosmos. This includes:
A. Self-study (human needs, human physiology, learning styles, nutrition)
B. Land study (biology, chemistry, geology and history of Monroe, its watershed and ecological profile; developing plans for outdoor Occupations)
II. The beginning of a three year cycle, The Study of the History of Humanity. This year we will proceed from the beginning of Human Writing to the Invention of the Printing Press. (This will be a lesser component until we can move into the new space and develop our library and other resources.)
III. Occupations: Indoor environment projects (decoration, interior design, furniture design and construction, etc.) Outdoor projects (landscape design, gardening, design of recreational space)
Individual and group pursuits in PM: 1-3:30 pm
Electives offered by guides, or individual work: 1-2:50
clean-up: 2:50-3
journal time: 3-3:30
§ Montessori Key Lessons in Science
§ Math learning group (tutorial?)
AR electives for first trimester:
(the top three choices will be offered, based on interest):
§ writing group (creative writing with some writing skills exercises)
§ reading group(s)
§ visual art group
§ philosophical dialog group
Indoor and outdoor occupations work: (This may require a rotation of parent supervision in the afternoons.)
We can review these offerings in Stage One during your SLP meetings, and we will be looking at them again with the whole learning community when we gather, starting the 17th.
Parent Meetings: we have heard from some but not all of you about your preferred monthly parent meeting times. Please remember to bring your preferences with you to the SLP meeting. These are times for moms AND dads, by the way, so let us reiterate that we are willing to stay in Monroe into the evening once a month to ensure maximum participation. So far the third Wednesday afternoon option is the most popular. These meetings will begin in October.
Maria Montessori first published her thoughts on the syllabus in 1948.
Self-Expression:
Music
Language (Creative Writing And Drama)
Dance
Athletics
Visual Art
Psychic Development:
Mathematics
Language(s)
Preparation for Adult Life:
The Study of Nature (The Earth and Living Things)
(geology, geography, biology, cosmology, botany, zoology, physiology, astronomy, comparative anatomy)
The Study of Human Progress and the
Building Up of Civilizations
(physics, chemistry, mechanics, engineering, and genetics integrated into the history of science and technology—“supranature”)
The Study of the History of Humanity
(scientific discoveries, geographical explorations, relation of humans to the environment, contact between different peoples, war, religion, patriotism, a detailed study of one period, a detailed study of the life of one person, the present day and nation, law and government, literature and the arts)
SVEC Montessori Junior High
Requested Supply List for Shared Classroom Supplies
2007-2008
We invite families to help build up our store of classroom supplies as follows, to be brought in by students on September 17th:
1 dozen #2 pencils with erasers
1 dozen black pens (erasable or not, depending on your preference)
2 packages of lined 3” x 5” index cards for note-taking
1 package of five 3-ring binder subject dividers
1 package of Pink Pearl erasers
1 package recycled college-lined 3-ring binder paper
1 package glue sticks
Several report binders/covers for storing completed work
Requested Supply List for Individual Student Supplies
2007-2008
We request that each student provide for him or herself, beginning Sept. 17th:
1 reusable water bottle
1 journal for recording daily and weekly work, and for journaling
1 personal 3-ring binder for storing current work (2” recommended)
(Optional) pocket calendar for planning long term work and keeping track of assignments.
We assume that every student will come each day with a healthy lunch prepared and stored in a conveniently stowable lunch box or other container. We will be examining what a healthy lunch might consist of during our fall nutrition unit.
We will have an additional voluntary sign-up sheet with requests for other classroom supplies, including art supplies, kitchen supplies, and cleaning supplies, at the SLP meetings.
