As we continue our study of virtues January is a great month to focus on courage. Courage is a big virtue – with physical, moral, intellectual, and civic dimensions. At each program level we address different dimensions of courage, but at all levels we stress that courage is not being “unafraid”; it is moving beyond […]
This month in Primary 2, we are focusing on the weather. We began with looking at the differences between hot and cold weather, and identify clothing that would be appropriate in each of these extremes. We have learned about thermometers and how they indicate what the temperature is and how it is measured in degrees. Children […]
In chapel this week we celebrated the feast of Epiphany! (January 6).This is the end of the Christmas season; when we celebrate the arrival of the visitors from the East who came to pay homage to the King of Kings. This is a reminder that the birth of Jesus is not a “local” event”–the movement […]
As Christians, we celebrate the arrival of a new liturgical year differently. The new year that begins on the first Sunday of Advent usually occurs around the beginning of December or the end of November. There is a quiet start to this new year. In the Scripture readings for the four Sundays of Advent, we […]
Stop Trying to Raise Successful Kids ( and start raising kind ones)by Adam Grant and Allison Sweet Grant in the December 2019 The Atlantic captures so many fine points in raising kids and ties in so well with our virtues program. Here is the powerful opening paragraph: “As anyone who has been called out for […]
Construction is the coming into being of what was not there before. Self-construction is the building up of the human personality through purposeful activity with materials in an environment. This construction is individual, yet takes place in a social context. As humans, we all undergo this self-construction, developing our personalities based on the experiences we […]
The holiday season is an especially good time to consider all that we have to be grateful for and to reflect on the ways that we practice gratitude in our lives. Being thankful strengthens our relationships and our connection to our community, and studies show that expressing appreciation makes us happier and more compassionate people. […]
We know very well, in theory, that the first six years of the child’s life are the foundation on which the rest of their life rests. A child’s distinct personality asserts itself long before those six years are over. What seems like frustrating behavior, on the surface, is simply the child’s attempt to break out […]
“Reading is not only fundamental to academic achievement, it’s also crucial to developing other measurable skills like executive function and social behavior. We are all agreed that reading makes you more knowledgeable and a better learner. What’s becoming more and more clear is that it also makes you a better-adjusted, better human being. Who wouldn’t […]
Practical life in a Montessori classroom The child in the toddler and primary class is introduced to lessons in Practical Life, which are unique to the Montessori early childhood environment. Practical Life activities are the activities of everyday life and include activities that teach the child how to take care of himself and his environment, […]
