MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS CASA DI MIR MONTESSORI SCHOOL |
Issue 9
1
Middle
School
News
Casa di Mir
Montessori School
Working at Veggielution
1/21/2014
EXPLORE. LEARN. LEAD.
Working at Veggielution 1
A time for new beginnings
Figure 1CCommunity
By Barbara Roether
The New Year is always a time to
look forward. Those of us planning
the middle school are happy to see
so many things starting to take
shape as the Fall of 2014 comes
closer! Two of next year’s Middle
School students are also starting to
look forward to their next
experience, and we asked them to
share some of the reasons for their
decision to continue at Casa di Mir
with their Montessori Education.
Georgette Greborio
I think Montessori helps me in
many ways. One is working freely,
without always being told what to
work on. In class we can move
around to collect what we need for
our work, and ask other students
and teachers for help almost
anytime. This is practice for when
you don’t have someone to tell
you what to work on! I have
learned to work without a teacher,
on my own, but the teachers are
available when you need them. I
also enjoy working with my
friends.
I enjoy science and literature. I like
science because we get to
experiment with different things,
some that I’ve never worked with. I
also like literature because I like to
read. I like the stories and how we
talk about one part of the story
before moving on to the next. I
like working with my friends
because it makes work more fun,
and easier. I can get help from
them, take a small break and get
their opinions on things. These
conversations make the material
more interesting.
I’m
looking
forward
to
experiencing a new grade and
getting even harder work. The
more I learn, the better. I’m also
looking forward to the exciting
field trips, like going to New York
because we get to explore new
places and learn their history and
importance.
MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS CASA DI MIR MONTESSORI SCHOOL |
Issue 9
Emily Tieu
2
physical activities, not to mention
snacks. I like the idea that we can
work as a group and do something
to help make the world a better
place.
to take a leadership role among
the younger children at Casa di
Mir, and so engage in activities
that serve our school community
as well as our city.
Questions and Answers
Hana
Over the past few months the sixth
year students have met several
times to discuss the middle school.
Here are some questions students
have been asking and some
answers!
Will we get to do group projects?
Isabeaux
One of the things I like about
Montessori is the way I have
learned to be organized and
manage my time. Both of these
are things I will have to do when I
have a job. So this seems more like
the real world. Friends that I talk
to from other schools talk about
how they spend most of their time
sitting at their desks, and taking
notes on the lecture the teacher is
giving. That is just one of the ways
that we learn at Casa.
I think Montessori has made me
more of a visual learner, or able to
learn not just from books but in
many different ways. I know how
to work by myself, independently
and how to work with a group.
One of the things we like best this
year is doing our SLP or Service
Learning Project, with Anne
Nguyen. We like the idea of doing
service together as a group and
learning things that aren’t just
academic. At SLP we do
improvisation, and games and
Will we do service learning?
Yes, in Middle School service
learning is no longer a separate
project. Service is part of many of
the explorations we will undertake
as a class. Locally we will be
volunteering at the Campbell
History Museum, and at Save the
Bay. Students will also need to
create a micro-economy or
fundraising project or for our trip
to New York. Our weekly
commitment
to
work
at
Veggielution urban farm, will be an
integrated part of our class
curriculum. We will also find ways
Yes. In addition to regular studies
that can be done in groups, you
will have several new venues for
cooperative group work. These
include: Participating in Debate
Team, contributing to our Microeconomy; acting and producing
our Shakespearean Drama, and
working on Committee in the
Model UN. In Middle School you
may take on leading roles within a
group project, such as Play
Director, or Business Manager.
Throughout the year we will be
making group decisions about our
program. We will be studying
together, creating art together,
helping each other through
difficulty, traveling together and
otherwise living as a small
community of learners.
MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS CASA DI MIR MONTESSORI SCHOOL |
Issue 9
3
Brayden
Bella
Will we have circle and check in?
Will we have art class with Nancy,
and music with Wanda?
events. There are many resources
in our own community to broaden
our art and music experiences!
Kevin
Will we have PE with Stephanie,
and will we have Aikido?
Middle School will be a different
program from Upper Elementary.
We will have new procedures, new
rules and new responsibilities. For
example: We will have a morning
‘warm up’ activity rather than a
circle.
Weekly
Community
Meetings will take the place of
daily class meetings, Using a
democratic process students will
make some decisions that affect
the whole group. Many things will
be new but learning through the
Montessori method will not
change.
Like service learning, art and
design are incorporated into all
aspects of the Middle School
Curriculum, and will no longer be a
separate class. We will be
exploring the history of art and
architecture as well as learning
techniques
in
design
and
construction. We’ll explore color,
form, composition, symmetry, and
how these elements are used in
the environment we live in. We’ll
learn to use a potter’s wheel at Art
Beat, and carry out research at The
Cantor Art Center at Stanford. We
are looking into creating a Middle
School musical ensemble with
group lessons from SJG Music
School at the CCC.
Nancy will continue to be a great
resource for our art projects, and
we will join Wanda and the whole
school for some special musical
Stephanie and our beloved time on
the grass playing fields at CCC, will
continue to be a part of our PE
program. In addition some new
eight week blocks of physical
activity will be introduced. These
may include Aikido, yoga, hip-hop
dance,
basketball
and/or
volleyball. Stephanie’s PE and
Health credential is K -12. She
taught several years prior to Casa
at the Middle school and High
school levels so she has great ideas
for the middle school program.
MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS CASA DI MIR MONTESSORI SCHOOL |
Issue 9
Casa di Mir Speaks Up!
The students who join our
program next year will be
trailblazers who are ready to
embark on an adventure in
learning; and yet we will not be
alone on the trail!
We have been working hard to
connect with other Montessori
Middle Schools in the area and
we are happy to report on how
successful this has been. Casa
di Mir, will be joining with the
Bowman
Middle
School
program, The Marin Montessori
School, and Alsion Middle
School to create a Montessori
Middle School Speech and
Debate League. Public speaking
includes many events such as
poetry reading, and dramatic
interpretation as well as debate;
so we are hoping to interest all
of our students in some aspect
of the program. Speech and
Debate events will provide
ongoing opportunities for our
students to connect with their
Montessori peers, and to
expand their social circle. It is
also interesting to note that
many college counselors look
for public speaking and debate
experience.
According to one article: “The
Wall Street Journal report did
specifically
highlight
a
"consistent trend"—one that
forensic coaches have known
for a long time—that dedicated
participation in drama and
debate
has
significantly
increased the success rate of
college applicants at all
schools which track such data.
State and national award
winners have a 22% to 30%
higher acceptance rate at top
tier colleges and being captain
of the debate team "improved
an applicant's chances by
more than 60% compared
with the rest of the pool,"
according to the report.
(Excerpted from an article by
Professor Minh A. Luong Yale
University at PBS Room 408)
Beyond its academic value,
the ability to speak publicly
with confidence and clarity is
a life skill that will serve our
students wherever they go.
4
will be working at Veggielution
on an ongoing basis and in
several different roles as the
seasons change. Helping to
plant, maintain and harvest
vegetables will be one aspect of
our work; while learning about
sustainable food systems and
CSA’s will be another. Helping
Veggielution
market
their
products, and helping them
share their vision with the
larger community is another
way we’ll participate.
In February Barbara will begin
her on-site training as a
Veggielution Work Crew Leader,
this will involve (six Saturdays)
long days of muddy-carrot
pulling, and manure slogging
but she is looking forward to it.
Really!
All Casa di Mir Families are
encouraged to check out the
Veggielution website and to
participate in one of their family
work days.
http://veggielution.org
Veggielution News:
We are also happy to report on
our
partnership
with
Veggielution
Farm.
Veggielution and Casa di Mir
have developed a partnership
that will allow the Middle
School to work as a dedicated
volunteer work crew under the
direction and supervision of a
Casa di Mir Teacher. Students