Welcome back to school!

Tuesday, January 10th., 2012 was the first day of school after the end of year break.  Students had a very nice day with opportunities to share their experiences during the holidays, including time shared with family and friends, and visits to other countries.  They were happy to see their friends and teachers again and we were glad to see all the families together, a very special school community indeed.

Since the students arrived in the morning they were engaged in creative activities that allowed them to express themselves and have a smooth transition into school again.  We look forward to continue to support their holistic development and enjoy another semester of excitement and "work."

“The child can only develop fully by means of experience in his environment.  We call such experiences ‘work’.”    Dr. Maria Montessori.

Time for School Reports!

The first week of December was a very exciting time as it was time for School Reports!  We met individually with our students' families and parents were positively impressed with the detail of the reports.

Our school reports resemble the kind of education we provide at The Earth School:  Individualized and Holistic.  We attend to the individual needs of our students and incorporate academics along with social and emotional development in a seamless manner.  As one of the parents said:  "I don't know exactly what you do in school, but it is working great and my child is very happy."

Each school report is different, as it includes a detailed list of activities and lessons presented to each child as well as a narrative describing each child's experience and creative ways in which s/he has overcome challenges along the way.

First Semester - Cultural Celebrations and much more!

Our Montessori curriculum includes a series of cultural celebrations along the school year.  This first semester has been very exciting with many cultural activities for the children and their families.  Thank you to all the parents who have volunteered at school and shared with our students about these wonderful traditions and celebrations, we greatly appreciate your involvement.  The school year was off to a great start with the Family Pic-Nic.  From there on, it has been so much fun!

We had a very special time during the Harvest Festival and also learned about Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights.  Food was delicious and the opportunity to share with the families was priceless!  Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas were also among our cultural celebrations this semester.  Our students enjoyed special crafts and took part in meaningful activities such as coloring rice to make their own rangoli (a traditional decorative art from India), preparing carrot soup for their parents, and making Christmas decorations, among others.

Our focus on providing experiential learning has covered not only the cultural area but all other areas of the curriculum.  This is something that has supported our students in continuing to develop a deep love of learning.  Being involved in activities where they can learn from what they do, rather than from what the teacher tells them in class, has made a significant difference in their learning experience.

Followed are pictures to share the magic of some of the moments we have treasured at school so far.  At The Earth School we truly make learning fun!

Wednesday, September 7th - First Day of School!

Thank you to all the families for choosing The Earth School, a learning community characterized by mutual respect, cooperation, appreciation, and a deep love of learning for life.


Wednesday, September 7th. is our First Day of School.  Everything is ready to welcome our students:  The classrooms are filled with authentic Montessori materials, most of them brought directly from Gonzagarredi (one of the two companies in the world producing Montessori educative material under the supervision and with the certification of the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI), based in Amsterdam).

The teachers and assistants are preparing special materials, songs, and activities with each of the children in mind.  The school grounds are looking green and beautiful thanks to the much needed rain we have had during the last few weeks.

We are all looking forward to a wonderful school year, ready to discover the world through the eyes of our students. What an awesome opportunity!  

Summer Camp Week 3 - Water Play!

This week's camp was filled with lots of fun!  Children enjoyed themselves in the pool and also learned about the water cycle through many different activities.

A few exciting things happened last week at The Earth School, the seedlings from our vegetable garden kept growing, and with the help of the older students we transformed a beautiful old tree into an awesome playground!  It has become very quickly the most popular feature in our campus, and we are thrilled to see how happy our campers are!

It's Party Time! Music and Crafts from Around the World - Summer Camp Week 2

This week our campers continued to care for the Butterfly Garden and Vegetable Garden they created on the first week of camp.  A sense of responsibility
and appreciation for their environment is emerging as they take the time each
day to water the plants and carefully remove all dry leaves.  
Monday was a very special day.  After the children came back from their weekend at home, there was a very special surprise awaiting them… the seeds they had planted just a few days before, had become beautiful seedlings!  The
expression on their faces said it all.  There was a sense of accomplishment, surprise, and excitement at the same time.  What a wonderful experience!
 As the week continued and through different games, Earth-friendly crafts, learning
activities, and hands-on experiences for each age group, they learned about:
- How to make musical instruments from recycled materials
- Musical instrument families and how they are divided
- Familiarize themselves with musical instruments through individual and group
activities
- Read and listen to stories related to this week's theme.
- Familiarize themselves with different rhythms and music from around the
world
 At the end of the week parents joined us for a music and dance performance.  The children presented a Rwandan dance wearing traditional customs, played the drums, 
and later danced to the rhythm of Caribbean music.  We all had a great time!

Summer Camp Gardening Week at The Earth School

The Earth School Summer Camp has started!  Children are enjoying their time together gardening and learning about plants, insects, butterflies, and other little garden friends.  


Some of the activities we have done this week include:

• Container planting
• Making creative Earth-friendly crafts (Yes, at The Earth School we Recycle, Reuse, and Reduce!)
• Create beautiful designs using 3-D chalk and straw painting techniques
• Drumming
• Enjoy the extraordinary sensorial experience of sand play
• Enjoy the outdoor classroom while listening to stories or dancing under the trees
• Make friends and enjoy the gorgeous school grounds 

Thank you to all the parents, staff and volunteers our campers are having a wonderful time!