A Child's Garden Montessori School

Valentine’s Day Celebration

ACG Montessori — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 19:17:07 +0000

The children at ACG eagerly anticipate each holiday! On Tuesday, February 14, the school will celebrate Valentine’s Day with classroom parties. The children will exchange valentines, enjoy a holiday snack, and prepare their special valentine for their parent(s). In our Montessori classrooms, Valentine’s Day is about friendship, about the love we share with those around us. There are many benefits from celebrating holidays such as Valentine’s Day:

Holidays honor the passage of time and seasons.

Winter holidays bring a festive mood to the gloomy winter months.

They add meaning to our family, friendships, and community spirit.

We can learn more about history, geography, and different cultures.

We can create different artwork and art projects.

Our job as Montessorians is to provide children with hands-on opportunities for grace and courtesy: sharing traditions, giving, receiving, and expressing love and friendship in a respectful manner.

Parent Series Workshop – Math

ACG Montessori — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:58:22 +0000

Join us on Saturday, February 11 from 10:00 AM until Noon for the 3rd in our series of Parent Workshops for the 2011-12 school year. The topic is the math curriculum and how it is formed within the Montessori environment. We would love for all parents to attend this informative workshop. Please see the attached flyer for further details:

Math Workshop Flyer

Coppell Preschool Open House

ACG Montessori — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:09:36 +0000

A Child’s Garden Montessori will participate in the annual Coppell Preschool Open House on Tuesday, January 17 from 10:30 to 12:30 at the WT Cozby Library in Coppell. This initiates the enrollment process for new students and the re-enrollment process for returning students for the 2012-2013 school year. Call the school office at 972-446-2663 to schedule a tour – enroll early to avoid waiting lists!

Congratulations to the Beginner Graduates!

ACG Montessori — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 20:04:44 +0000

This week several children from the Beginner classroom who have been identified as ready to “move up” to the next level will begin visiting their new Pre-Primary (3 to 6 year old) classroom. The transition occurs over a two week period, with the children spending an increasing amount of time each day in their new classroom.

Readiness involves both social/emotional as well as practical life skills. Examples of skills in the social/emotional area include separating from parent, sharing and playing well with others, understanding simple classroom rules, and participating in group activities. Skills in the practical life area include independence in toileting, eating, handling clothing, and washing hands.

The children eagerly await the next 3 year period in their Montessori experience, in which they will build on their acquired skills in a more academic setting. Their writing, reading, language and cognitive development will blossom within the context of mutual respect and independent learning. We wish them well as they move forward to the next level in their academic progress.

Our Amazing Beginner Class

ACG Montessori — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 21:05:59 +0000

During the month of December, our amazing Beginner class will:

Make snow globes, make presents for parents, put up and decorate our Christmas tree, and enjoy visits from Thomas the Train.

We will focus on walking up and down the stairs, walking in a line, and identifying colors, shapes, and body parts.

Come watch us grow!

Parent Workshop Series – II

ACG Montessori — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 20:02:49 +0000

At A Child’s Garden Montessori we hold Free Parent Workshops to educate parents about the importance of different aspects of the Montessori environment. In our workshops parents will have the opportunity to observe how various Montessori lessons are applied in your child’s classroom. We will explain the long-term skills your child will develop from working with these materials. We invite you to come and get a better understanding of your child’s education.

Our second workshop, held on Saturday, November 12 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM, focused on the Sensorial area – the five senses, muscular memory and sensory training. Parents had a “hands-on” opportunity to experience the Sensorial materials themselves during the workshop!

Workshops three and four of our 2011-12 Series will be scheduled for January and February, 2012 (dates TBD.) The workshops are available to all parents and educators who are interested in the Montessori curriculum. Please contact the school office at 972-446-2663 if you would like to attend this free event.

Parenting Tip – “Moving Up” from Beginner to Pre-Primary

ACG Montessori — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 17:38:19 +0000

The Montessori Beginner classroom (ages 18 months to 3 years) is an active, vital environment where early learning leads to increased independence, self-control and social development. Once the child shows age-appropriate mastery of these elements, he will be invited to visit the Pre-Primary classroom (ages 3 to 6 years.) In January of each year, some children visit Pre-Primary classrooms with the possibility of “moving up,” based upon teacher-observed readiness. Children being considered are assessed based on their ability in two, separate areas: Social/Emotional Development and Classroom Skills.

Examples of Social and Emotional Development include the ability to separate from parents, to share and play well with others, to be respectful of others and the environment, and to comply with simple classroom rules. Examples of Classroom Skills include being independent in eating and toileting, handling own clothing, and focusing on independent work.

Congratulations to those children who will visit in January!

Montessori Tip – Prepared Environment

ACG Montessori — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 17:14:45 +0000

A typical Montessori classroom is also referred to as the “prepared environment” – a carefully designed environment for the children prepared by the teacher with the intention of reinforcing independence, cognitive and social development, and hands-on learning.

Each area of the classroom is arranged into separate curriculum areas (Practical Life, Sensorial, Language, Math, Geography and Science), each filled with inviting didactic materials that draw the child toward exploration. The classroom is designed to allow the child freedom of movement to choose purposeful work. Everything from the tables and chairs to the materials themselves are proportioned to meet the needs of the young child.

The order within the environment promotes a calm atmosphere for the children, enabling them to concentrate on the task at hand.

2011 Fall Festival a success!

ACG Montessori — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 16:17:28 +0000

We want to thank all the families, vendors, teachers and staff who made this event possible; but most of all, we want to give a special thanks to the Parent Association headed by Lakshmi, who organized, coordinated and raised all the wonderful donations given to ACG from local businesses.

The following businesses played a key role in making the school’s fundraising event possible:

Emler Swim School – http://www.iswimemler.com/

Carlos Castro Photography – www.yolk.ws

Waves & Ripples Salon – http://www.wavesandripples.com/

Quinlan Chiropractic Clinic – http://www.quinlanchiropractic.com/index.php

North Star Dentistry – http://www.northstardentistry.com/

Big D Engine Co. Entertainers – http://www.bigdenginecompany.com/pages/home

Carrollton Square Spa & Salon – http://www.carrolltonspa.com/

Handwriting without Tears – http://www.writetoshine.com/

Parenting Tip – Emotional Intelligence

ACG Montessori — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 18:59:15 +0000

Parents recognize that it is the intention of schools to cultivate cognitive development in children, measured by grades, standardized tests, and I.Q. assessments. Equally important in child development, however, is their emotional development, commonly called emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is the ability to read social cues – to intuit what another person is feeling, and to communicate and share their feelings with others.

Research indicates that emotionally intelligent children are generally in better health, are liked by their peers, have fewer behavioral issues, are better able to focus, and score higher on tests. Educators who encourage interpersonal skills (such as listening, solving conflicts, and respecting others) value both emotions and logic as equal parts of the Montessori “whole child” approach.

A child’s emotional intelligence begins in the home. Parents can help their children develop healthy emotional habits by teaching them control of their emotions, helping them to understand their own feelings and showing empathy toward others.