The arts: more than play, more than “a play”

The arts provide opportunities for self-expression, help instill pride and cultivate real-life skills.

Whether it is music, drawing, acting, singing, or dance that they choose, the arts provide children with a natural outlet to express themselves and practice and hone their skills, including: critical and creative thinking, hand-eye coordination, motor and social skills. 

Join us tonight, April 29^th, 2016 at 6:30 PM at the Valley View Chapel in Long Valley for a creative interpretation of John Lithgow’s “Marsupial Sue”. This performance is delivered by our Kindergarten class with chorus accompaniment by our second year Early Childhood children and highlights some delightful facts about the subject of our in-depth cultural exploration this year: The Continent of Australia. All are welcome!

For more reasons to help your child choose the arts, read here.

What is Montessori--in just one word.

When you work in a Montessori School, the question “Just what is Montessori?” does come up quite often in one’s social circles. And for those of us who have studied the philosophy and pedagogy that Dr. Montessori put into practice over 100 years ago, it’s difficult to put into words, succinctly, all the benefits of this educational approach that took the world by storm back in the early 1900’s.

“Dr. Montessori was truly a woman ahead of her time. She saw the potential in every child. As a physician and a scientist, she used observation and a brilliant understanding of child development to figure out how to best support learning for life.”, remarks Colette Cross, Head of School at the Westmont Montessori school in #Mendham, NJ.

Indeed. But just what is this educational approach all about? Today, we will try to answer this question with one word (well…we might need to use a few “one word” answers):

• #Respect for self
• #Respect for others
• #Self-confidence
• #Independence
• #Integrity
• #Academic Excellence (coupled with a joy for learning)
• #Cultural appreciation
• #Love of #learning

Learn more @AmericanMonstessoriSociety as well as our other #Montessori #blog articles here.