Montessori Community Celebration of Thanksgiving

In the US, the Thanksgiving holiday is always celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. There is background information on the American holiday in previous NAMC blogs, listed below.

In my first several years of teaching Montessori preschool, Thanksgiving celebrations focused on the original story involving the indigenous people of the US and the pilgrim settlers. Prior to Thanksgiving Day, I invited local Native Americans to our Montessori classroom to share their knowledge of those who originally lived in our region. Montessori parents and any visiting extended family members were also invited to these presentations.

Our special guests would bring replicas of the homes, show the lifestyle of the families, and also share many examples of their clothing, cooking utensils and pots, and common children’s games. My Montessori preschool students loved this experiential cultural study, and enjoyed participating in a very hands-on way.

Montessori Parent Education Meetings- Strengthen Your Montessori Community

Every new school year brings parents who are new to the Montessori way. Many are eager to know more about what their children will be learning and doing in the Montessori classroom. Some have a general idea of what the Montessori program is about, others know only that they liked what they saw at their initial school visit.

In order for a Montessori school to build a strong, supportive parent and community base, it is important to provide a parent-friendly, informative Montessori parent education program. As parents develop their understanding of the Montessori philosophy and method, your Montessori community will strengthen and grow. I hope the ideas I share here will help you with your Montessori parent education programs.

Orientation of New Students at Start of School- Montessori Parent Involvement

Part 3 of 3 - Parent Involvement

In the first two parts of this series, I explained the value of the phase-in process for both the children and the teacher. Montessori preschool students gradually process the new and exciting ways of the Montessori approach to a school experience. They learn the grace and courtesy lessons at a pace that prevents them from feeling overwhelmed by too long of classroom time or too many other children. The Montessori teacher focuses on the procedures needed to support each child’s entry into the program. The smaller class size facilitates the teacher in becoming acquainted with each new student in order to guide the new child appropriately as class times grow in length and the needs of a large group change the Montessori classroom dynamics.

Often the parents’ first orientation/observation of a Montessori classroom takes place in the spring when the class is established, and they are considering placing their children in a Montessori program for the coming school year.