thank you all so very much for your good thoughts sent max's way!
he had an amazing day yesterday, despite a rough morning start.
there was some hiding and a little bit of a death grip around our waists...some shifty eyes looking to make a break for it. but all that aside, he did fantastic!
he loved the school and his new friends. and matt and me and max's dad have a whole lot of peace now that things are falling into place for our guy.
that definitely calls for an ice cream cone...
or more specifically, an ice cream cone the size of your head.
it does some good to have moments when you get to look at your child and truly admire them.
not for anything you've taught them, really. but just for who they are as people.
their ability to trust and adapt and be wonderfully resilient.
it's really something.
p.s. if any of you have done montessori or have kids in montessori i would love to hear your experience!
p.s.s. photos taken from my phone. i left my camera at home!
(that never happens)
p.s.s. photos taken from my phone. i left my camera at home!
(that never happens)
Yay Max!
ReplyDeleteyou can't beat an ice cream cone celebration! best of luck to Max the Brave. montessori schools are where it's at!
ReplyDeleteall our local dairy queens have closed. :-/ i would really like a cookie jar blizzard right now.
ReplyDeleteYay for big kids!
ReplyDeletexo
Kacie
www.acollectionofpassions.blogspot.com
hey Katie- Are you guys looking at Gloria Dei? We looked at that as well. I do a bit of montessori at home and have read a bunch on it. Gloria Dei was just $$...but if you can afford it I have alot of friends who have loved it there, I think it depends a bit on the kid, some do better with a little more structure but montessori is great for the creative free spirits out there.
ReplyDeletei'm so happy to hear that everything went well, even if it was a little rough at first. that ice cream cone is HUGE, hahaha!
ReplyDeleteit's very clear how much you love and admire Max. so adorable!
also, is that an iPhone app? if so, which one is it? i love the look of it :)
~Andrea @ http://hecallsmewifey.blogspot.com/
Hi Katie, Our oldest has gone to a Montessori based school for three years now and we could not be happier! She is a very independent and outgoing child by nature so she really thrives in this type of program. We have found that it has enhanced her ability to make good decisions and has really built good time management skills. She is particularly drawn to the science and social living centers so we have really had to push her to devote more of herself to the subjects she doesn't particularly like. It's so interesting to see their true interests, though, when they are given the opportunity to really express themselves. Good luck to you and your beautiful family! I'm sure that your sweet Max will do great, especially with so much love and encouragement in his life!
ReplyDeletebeautiful! well done, max.
ReplyDeleteMy brother and I loved Montessori and we have both decided we will send our kids to Montessori schools. We learned so many skills but often didn't even know that we were learning! In elementary school often a teacher would introduce a concept (simple multiplication, color theory, basic geometry) and I would already be familiar with the concept, though not always the terms. Learning was very organic, creative, and our teachers were so patient. FYI, not all Montessori programs are created equal, some employ teachers who have no specific training in the curriculum, and from what my mom explained to me, (she was one of those super involved moms, this was in the 80s) it can either make a big difference or not, depending on the mission of the school and the environment, etc.
ReplyDeleteI've worked in a few Montessori classrooms and I know that children learn so much more on their own. For instance, the teachers and I had the children clean their own dishes when they were done with lunch. If they made a mess, they had to clean it up by using a broom that was their own size. I found that the Montessori method allowed the children to become independent people.
ReplyDeletehey katie! zoe and amelie just completed their first semester at a private montessori center. and we all LOVED it! it is truly the perfect fit for little ones to learn. zoe and amelie have gained so much independence through their school experience. they are both very confident in being capable little people :) also they have a very small "environment" (aka class) so that helps for one on one attention and whee little hearts not used to being away from mom and dad :)
ReplyDeletethere's a big ol' dairy queen right on the beach here. i'm going tomorrow. and sending you a picture to persuade you to visit.
ReplyDeleteI had always wondered what a Montessori school was and this post prompted me to research it a bit further. I can't believe I haven't heard of this learning experience before. It sounds brilliant, but also a little confusing for me {but then again, the whole concept is brand new to me, so.....}.
ReplyDeleteHappy decision making!
we tried to get brewer into a state funded montessori school, but didn't make the lottery. he was in a private art infused pre-school and then for k we were able to get him into an out of zone public school. the public school has excellent "grades" especially for south carolina and he did great, but nowhere near what i know he needs to excel.
ReplyDeleteluckily for us, our great little "hip, vintage" neighborhood with failing schools has JUST opened up a creative arts partial magnet school and brewer will start and finish his primary school career there. it's the closest to montessori we'll get.
just from the research i've done, i know max will do great because he and brewer seem to be a lot alike and i know brewer will thrive in a school that isn't so uptight. who can expect a 5+ year old boy to sit still for 7 hours...ya know?!?! they are already at a disadvantage the second they walk into school.
sorry, i'm babbling. school has just been such a stressful thing for us even though we've managed to be lucky. i'm so glad you've found a great school for max. he deserves the best!
My daughter is only four but has been attending a Montessori preschool for a year. She can read, write, and do basic fractions. That alone is enough to sell me on Montessori! :D She LOVES her school.
ReplyDelete