Welcome to another school year! Although blessings abound with the return of the school routine, I know that one universal challenge is getting everyone up, brushed, dressed, fed and out of the house in a punctual manner. I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite school-day breakfast ideas. These "recipes" are helpful in that much of the preparation can take place the night before. This serves the purpose of speeding the family out the door and it also provides a calm, fun, engrossing family activity for the children to participate in in the evening. Evenings, which should be a period of winding down for children who must rise early the next day, often find children spiraling out of control as they become fatigued at end of day. A structured activity can sometimes keep things on a more even keel.
This first dish is chillaquilles and no, I'm not sure of the spelling. I ate this for the first time at a resort in Cancun and I make it all the time at home now. It consists of eggs, torn corn tortillas and grated cheese. You also need butter for the pan and you can easily add salsa or cut-up veggies such as zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, etc. Putting this together allows children of different skill levels to participate. The most challenging parts are cutting up veggies, if you desire some, and grating the cheese. I suggest the cheese is grated right into a large mixing bowl. No cutting board and minimal mess. Then the eggs can be cracked and scrambled in that same mixing bowl. Any veggies can be cut up and added at this time. The tortillas can be torn into small pieces by a very young child and this is great fun. Place the egg/cheese mixture in the fridge overnight and store the torn tortillas in a re-used bread bag or other storage container. In the morning, melt a pat of butter in a large skillet on low to medium low heat, combine the tortillas with the rest in the mixing bowl and pour into the skillet. Cook slowly, stirring and turning often until cooked to your liking. This is a tasty hearty dish, easily adjustable to accommodate the number of family members. I use 3 eggs, one large tortilla and perhaps 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese, but adjust it as you see fit. You can't go wrong and you can make a lot or a little. There's grating, cutting, mixing, tearing and stirring to be done. Something for everyone!
The next dish is a smoothie. I like to cut up bananas into thick slices and freeze them in a gallon ziplock bag. Do this ahead of time. In the evening, place berries or your favorite cut-up fruit (I leave the peels on most everything) in a blender along with some plain yogurt and a generous splash of any kind of milk. Add your favorite sweetener. I've been using stevia lately, but I also think honey adds great flavor. Place the blender carafe in the fridge. In the morning, add frozen banana slices and whir in the blender. Delicious! You can add peanut butter or protein powder to make it a bit heartier.
Preparing these dishes the night before helps your child to look on the morrow with anticipation. After the dishes are prepared as much as possible in the evening and the clean-up is done (preferably with your child's help) you can cast about for other steps to take that will make tomorrow morning easier. "Shall we fill your water bottle and set it by the door so we don't forget it?" "Let's check the weather report on-line for tomorrow and set out an appropriate outfit!" "We forgot your raincoat today. Let's place it by the door, too, so that doesn't happen again." "We even have enough time to pack your lunch for tomorrow. Would you like to make the sandwich or pack up your carrot sticks?"
My hope for you is that mornings are less hectic, that your child feels like a valuable member of the family and that he/she builds the ability to organize and plan. I wish you all a wonderful school year!
Best regards,
Doni
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Thursday, May 31, 2012
A Shout-out
I wish to briefly salute our wonderful assistant, Marjie, who attended to a medical emergency in class today. One of our kids had a severe nosebleed that went on and on. Marjie stayed by his side and followed all her first aid training to stem the flow. The bleeding, however, refused to cease even after ten minutes. Marjie noticed a bit of blood trickling from the child's eye and alerted the head teacher to this anomaly. Since this was so out of the ordinary, we called 911 immediately. They came so quickly! Being so close to our local fire station affords us a great deal of comfort and security. A whole battalion of EMTs, firefighters and police officers arrived. The child remained calm as did Marjie. The head teacher, remaining staff and children went (pretty) serenely about their business as the professionals did theirs. The child's mother arrived and picked up her child to be seen by his pediatrician. We are certain that all will be well. I am very proud of the staff and particularly Marjie for handling this (thankfully) rare situation so well. We are are truly fortunate to have her on staff.
Best regards,
Doni
Best regards,
Doni
Monday, May 7, 2012
An Exciting Opportunity
Next Thursday, May 17 at 6 pm at Corvallis Montessori School, Dr Kathleen Lloyd will be presenting a lecture entitled "Creating Pathways for Self-Regulation: A Secret of Childhood." I have heard Dr. Lloyd speak on this topic before and it is riveting. She is a relaxed, personable speaker with many years of experience teaching young children in a Montessori setting and she brings not only her personal stories, but much clinical research as well.
Her research and experiences illustrate how important it is for children to have opportunities to lose themselves in an activity and become thoroughly engrossed. This very act leads them to a more highly evolved state of being. We see this in the classroom regularly. A child who has just finished a task that is meaningful, engaging and developmentally appropriate is momentarily transformed into a child who is satisfied, kind, peaceable and motivated to find another stimulating experience.
Many adults, however, do not recognize and respect the importance of a child's concentration. Many of us think nothing of interrupting a child who is focused and engaged. As a matter of fact, children who are in this concentrated state emit such lovely, entrancing energy that they are more likely to attract others and therefore be interrupted. How often do we see a baby looking intently at something and break their gaze by calling their attention once more to ourselves. "Are you looking at the horsey? That's a pretty horsey, isn't it?" Yes, to be sure, conversing with an infant, introducing vocabulary and bonding on an emotional level are vital, but it can wait until the child terminates her engagement herself.
Dr. Lloyd will provide fascinating information for all of us who care about human development. Not surprisingly to Montessorians, we find that the opportunities for children to devote themselves to self-chosen work that abound in our classrooms brings out this phenomenom again and again. Dr. Montessori was aware of this dynamic 100 years ago. It is exciting to see modern-day brain research corroborate her observations and those of us who follow in her footsteps.
Her research and experiences illustrate how important it is for children to have opportunities to lose themselves in an activity and become thoroughly engrossed. This very act leads them to a more highly evolved state of being. We see this in the classroom regularly. A child who has just finished a task that is meaningful, engaging and developmentally appropriate is momentarily transformed into a child who is satisfied, kind, peaceable and motivated to find another stimulating experience.
Many adults, however, do not recognize and respect the importance of a child's concentration. Many of us think nothing of interrupting a child who is focused and engaged. As a matter of fact, children who are in this concentrated state emit such lovely, entrancing energy that they are more likely to attract others and therefore be interrupted. How often do we see a baby looking intently at something and break their gaze by calling their attention once more to ourselves. "Are you looking at the horsey? That's a pretty horsey, isn't it?" Yes, to be sure, conversing with an infant, introducing vocabulary and bonding on an emotional level are vital, but it can wait until the child terminates her engagement herself.
Dr. Lloyd will provide fascinating information for all of us who care about human development. Not surprisingly to Montessorians, we find that the opportunities for children to devote themselves to self-chosen work that abound in our classrooms brings out this phenomenom again and again. Dr. Montessori was aware of this dynamic 100 years ago. It is exciting to see modern-day brain research corroborate her observations and those of us who follow in her footsteps.
Monday, April 2, 2012
Back from Break!
What a wonderful day it was in the classroom today. Today being our first day back after a very rainy/snowy spring break, one never knows how things might go. But the children were all obviously very pleased to be back in their little world at school. There were two individuals who were, in contrast, quite displeased to find themselves back at school at the moment they were manually placed across the threshold by their firm, but loving parents. These two little guys were some of the busiest little beavers in school today! They found one beloved activity after another and became deeply absorbed in each of them. All of the children were thoroughly involved in their work today.
Two of our oldest children worked with deep concentration on Practical Life tasks and repeated them many times right after lunch. In fact, all of the afternoon children fell to working right after lunch as if they had a hunger of a different sort to satisfy. A little boy who often persistently resists the whole idea of "going to work" was very active in his self-direction today. Another child who prefers to observe and socialize was nose down in his own business this morning. Yet another little girl came to me to ask me for some ideas about what she could do. She took my first suggestion and never looked back. She was on a roll after that! And the readers! They read, read, read! How wonderful that our library mom had supplied our library with fresh books for their voracious appetites.
My point? Well, I'm just saying it's nice, that's all. It felt great today to see that everyone clearly enjoyed being back at school. Now... tomorrow it will begin to rain again. Someone will get on my nerves. There may be strife, discontent, mayhem. But for today.....today was a good day.
Two of our oldest children worked with deep concentration on Practical Life tasks and repeated them many times right after lunch. In fact, all of the afternoon children fell to working right after lunch as if they had a hunger of a different sort to satisfy. A little boy who often persistently resists the whole idea of "going to work" was very active in his self-direction today. Another child who prefers to observe and socialize was nose down in his own business this morning. Yet another little girl came to me to ask me for some ideas about what she could do. She took my first suggestion and never looked back. She was on a roll after that! And the readers! They read, read, read! How wonderful that our library mom had supplied our library with fresh books for their voracious appetites.
My point? Well, I'm just saying it's nice, that's all. It felt great today to see that everyone clearly enjoyed being back at school. Now... tomorrow it will begin to rain again. Someone will get on my nerves. There may be strife, discontent, mayhem. But for today.....today was a good day.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Speaking of the Spirit
In our class, we often speak of spiritual matters. Whenever we explore a country and its culture, we learn about one of the primary religions of that country. In our biome materials, there is a set of cards that depicts how indigenous people of that biome satisfy their human needs. One of those needs is for spiritual experience. For the uninitiated, a biome is a large geographical region of the earth with a particular soil and climate and the flora and fauna that live there are well-suited to the biome. The biomes are: oceans, mountains, deserts, wetlands, grasslands, polar regions and temperate and tropical forests. The biomes, though very different, all share the same parts. They all have soil, water, air, flora, fauna and energy. The energy all comes from the sun, nourishes the plants, which nourish the animals who eat them, who nourish the larger animals who eat them. Then the plants and animals die and the energy makes its way into the soil, where it nourishes the plants again. The cycle continues and the energy itself never dies.
Right now we are studying Brazil, so we have been learning about the Yanomami of the tropical forests of South America. Their spiritual needs are partially satisfied by visiting other tribes, dressing to the nines in body paint, feathers and flowers and performing the Dance of Presentation for their hosts. Then they spend the night. We have also been learning about Catholicism, as that is the dominant religion of Brazil. We know about the practice of giving something up for 40 days to observe Lent. When we studied Egypt we talked about fasting from sunup to sundown during Ramadan and we have made the connection that many religions have some aspect of sacrifice.
Two of our kids, Ben and Clare, have a wonderful dog, a Chesapeake Bay Retriever, named Guinness, who is their parents' firstborn. Guinness is a beloved family member who is plagued now by kidney failure and the children understand that Guinness will one day die. The other day at group, Clare, the older of the two kids, told us that her family had been stargazing the previous night (we also study constellations) and they had found Orion and the Dog Star. "Maybe when Guinness dies, his spirit will go up to the Dog Star!" Clare said quite cheerily. "Oh! Maybe whenever you see the Dog Star, you will think of Guinness," I replied. She nodded her assent.
At another group, shortly thereafter, I was telling the kids how my sister, who is very spiritual, but not Catholic, was giving up complaining about her husband for Lent. I told them I thought that this was a terrific experiment because not only has it done not a speck of good for my sister to complain, but it would be interesting to see what happens when she gives this up for 40 days. "Where will all that energy go?" I wondered aloud. Another little boy, Jude, who is 3 (and 3/4, he would want you to know) who had recently had the lesson about the parts of the biomes, said,
"Maybe the energy will go up to the sun!" When we study the energy cycle, there is no part that returns the solar energy up to the sun, but you have to admire the kid's logic.
People regularly ask us if Montessori has a religious perspective and for us, it does not, but I feel privileged to converse with the children about matters of the spirit and aspects of our lives that are unseen. I think such discussions prompt more questions than they do answers and and they entice the children to wonder. And isn't that wonderful?
Right now we are studying Brazil, so we have been learning about the Yanomami of the tropical forests of South America. Their spiritual needs are partially satisfied by visiting other tribes, dressing to the nines in body paint, feathers and flowers and performing the Dance of Presentation for their hosts. Then they spend the night. We have also been learning about Catholicism, as that is the dominant religion of Brazil. We know about the practice of giving something up for 40 days to observe Lent. When we studied Egypt we talked about fasting from sunup to sundown during Ramadan and we have made the connection that many religions have some aspect of sacrifice.
Two of our kids, Ben and Clare, have a wonderful dog, a Chesapeake Bay Retriever, named Guinness, who is their parents' firstborn. Guinness is a beloved family member who is plagued now by kidney failure and the children understand that Guinness will one day die. The other day at group, Clare, the older of the two kids, told us that her family had been stargazing the previous night (we also study constellations) and they had found Orion and the Dog Star. "Maybe when Guinness dies, his spirit will go up to the Dog Star!" Clare said quite cheerily. "Oh! Maybe whenever you see the Dog Star, you will think of Guinness," I replied. She nodded her assent.
At another group, shortly thereafter, I was telling the kids how my sister, who is very spiritual, but not Catholic, was giving up complaining about her husband for Lent. I told them I thought that this was a terrific experiment because not only has it done not a speck of good for my sister to complain, but it would be interesting to see what happens when she gives this up for 40 days. "Where will all that energy go?" I wondered aloud. Another little boy, Jude, who is 3 (and 3/4, he would want you to know) who had recently had the lesson about the parts of the biomes, said,
"Maybe the energy will go up to the sun!" When we study the energy cycle, there is no part that returns the solar energy up to the sun, but you have to admire the kid's logic.
People regularly ask us if Montessori has a religious perspective and for us, it does not, but I feel privileged to converse with the children about matters of the spirit and aspects of our lives that are unseen. I think such discussions prompt more questions than they do answers and and they entice the children to wonder. And isn't that wonderful?
Saturday, November 19, 2011
An Ounce of Prevention
Pauline, Leslie, Marjie, Jessica and I spent this Saturday renewing our Adult/Pediatriatric CPR and First Aid certification with Good Samaritan. Milan Miller has been our instructor for the last several years' classes. He is a wonderful teacher. He let us know at the start that the greatest determining factor in whether we would step up in an emergency or not is our confidence level. He is an EMT with many years experience and has, seemingly, seen it all. He told vivid stories and had us all in stitches.
A few tidbits that would benefit parents to know stuck with me and I will share them with you before they fade from memory. Did you know that Oregon is second only to Alaska in the number of hypothermia deaths per year? This is due to the wetness that plagues our winters. Wetness wicks the heat out of the body's core. Milan says that getting under a cedar tree will keep one reasonably dry in an Oregon rain. That might be a survival tip we want to pass on to our loved ones including our kids. As horrible as it is to think of a child lost in the wilderness, it would be of some comfort if we knew our kids had a modicum of know-how. Seeking this arborial shelter, a whistle and a bright-colored coat might make the difference in someone's survival.
Milan stressed the importance of keeping children's vitamins in a secure container and location just as we do with all other medications. Many of them look and taste like candy so it's important when administering them to your child to remind them that it is medicine and only to be taken when given by a parent or care-giver. And did you know that the second leading cause of child mortality is choking? Never let your child move and eat. It is a life-saving practice. When our kids eat apples on the playground we staff members must repeatedly remind them to sit down if they wish to eat. We don't allow them to rise from the snack table with food in their mouths, either. I have never had to administer the Heimich Maneuver and although I am prepared to do so, I'm not eager!
Milan also warned us of the likelihood of a major earthquake in our area in the next 20 years. And he warned us that we would all be ON OUR OWN as it is expected to be a quake of a devastating magnitude. He provided us with a list of emergency provisions to assemble and instructions to follow. I really need to get on getting my family's emergency kit together!
One can also download similar information from the Red Cross. Families will be glad to know that we perform regular earthquake drills at school and the children do very well.
If you've never taken a first-aid/CPR course, I encourage you to do so. It is an empowering feeling to know that one would know what to do in an emergency. The more there are of us who are trained, the readier we will be able to help each other and those we love.
Best Regards and Wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving,
Doni
A few tidbits that would benefit parents to know stuck with me and I will share them with you before they fade from memory. Did you know that Oregon is second only to Alaska in the number of hypothermia deaths per year? This is due to the wetness that plagues our winters. Wetness wicks the heat out of the body's core. Milan says that getting under a cedar tree will keep one reasonably dry in an Oregon rain. That might be a survival tip we want to pass on to our loved ones including our kids. As horrible as it is to think of a child lost in the wilderness, it would be of some comfort if we knew our kids had a modicum of know-how. Seeking this arborial shelter, a whistle and a bright-colored coat might make the difference in someone's survival.
Milan stressed the importance of keeping children's vitamins in a secure container and location just as we do with all other medications. Many of them look and taste like candy so it's important when administering them to your child to remind them that it is medicine and only to be taken when given by a parent or care-giver. And did you know that the second leading cause of child mortality is choking? Never let your child move and eat. It is a life-saving practice. When our kids eat apples on the playground we staff members must repeatedly remind them to sit down if they wish to eat. We don't allow them to rise from the snack table with food in their mouths, either. I have never had to administer the Heimich Maneuver and although I am prepared to do so, I'm not eager!
Milan also warned us of the likelihood of a major earthquake in our area in the next 20 years. And he warned us that we would all be ON OUR OWN as it is expected to be a quake of a devastating magnitude. He provided us with a list of emergency provisions to assemble and instructions to follow. I really need to get on getting my family's emergency kit together!
One can also download similar information from the Red Cross. Families will be glad to know that we perform regular earthquake drills at school and the children do very well.
If you've never taken a first-aid/CPR course, I encourage you to do so. It is an empowering feeling to know that one would know what to do in an emergency. The more there are of us who are trained, the readier we will be able to help each other and those we love.
Best Regards and Wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving,
Doni
Monday, October 17, 2011
Pursuing History
We here in the classroom have just finished a fascinating unit of study on Oregon. We focused on the geographical features of the Columbia River, the Coast and Cascade Mountain ranges, the high desert of eastern Oregon and our own Willamette Valley. We told tales of Lewis and Clark's exploration and the coming of the pioneers on the Oregon trail.
There are so many historical and geological sites to visit that are relatively nearby. I just know our children and your children would enjoy visiting some of these places. Closest at hand, we have our own Benton County Historical Museum. Since admission is free, it is a wonderful opportunity to take the very young. When they feel finished or their behavior is no longer museum-appropriate, the family can just leave and come back another day for a short visit. I took our six eldest children to the museum one afternoon and the behaviors I emphasized with them were walking, speaking quietly and pointing to items (even those under glass) without touching anything. Free museums, concerts and performances are a great way to introduce these activities to young children. If it ceases to go well, if one's children become disruptive, one can (and should) leave so that others can continue to enjoy the exhibit/performance and you aren't out any money.
Other places children may go to learn about and feel a connection to Oregon history are the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park in Astoria. Astoria is the first American settlement west of the Rockies. While there one can visit Ft. Clatsop, a replica of Lewis and Clark's winter outpost from 1805-1806. One can visit Seaside, OR, which is billed as the end of the Lewis and Clark trail and also a lovely beach destination. In the Dalles, one can visit the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center for an overview of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Baker City offers lifesize exhibits and living history at the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center. At Bend's High Desert Museum there are exhibits about the history, culture and wildlife that surrounds the plateau of the high desert. Newberry National Volcanic Monument features 50,000 acres of lakes, lava flows and spectacular geologic features.
The children in our class really enjoyed hearing about the history of their own state, especially the bravery and fortitude of those pioneer families and intrepid explorers like Lewis, Clark and Sacajawea. "Little House in the Big Woods" by Laura Ingalls Wilder gave an accurate description of the lifestyle of the time as did "Apples to Oregon." I forget the author of that one, but it presents a humorous look at a family's travails as they make their way west. It is available in our local libraries. And when you plan your family's next roadtrip, do consider these historical gems in our great state of Oregon!
There are so many historical and geological sites to visit that are relatively nearby. I just know our children and your children would enjoy visiting some of these places. Closest at hand, we have our own Benton County Historical Museum. Since admission is free, it is a wonderful opportunity to take the very young. When they feel finished or their behavior is no longer museum-appropriate, the family can just leave and come back another day for a short visit. I took our six eldest children to the museum one afternoon and the behaviors I emphasized with them were walking, speaking quietly and pointing to items (even those under glass) without touching anything. Free museums, concerts and performances are a great way to introduce these activities to young children. If it ceases to go well, if one's children become disruptive, one can (and should) leave so that others can continue to enjoy the exhibit/performance and you aren't out any money.
Other places children may go to learn about and feel a connection to Oregon history are the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park in Astoria. Astoria is the first American settlement west of the Rockies. While there one can visit Ft. Clatsop, a replica of Lewis and Clark's winter outpost from 1805-1806. One can visit Seaside, OR, which is billed as the end of the Lewis and Clark trail and also a lovely beach destination. In the Dalles, one can visit the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center for an overview of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Baker City offers lifesize exhibits and living history at the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center. At Bend's High Desert Museum there are exhibits about the history, culture and wildlife that surrounds the plateau of the high desert. Newberry National Volcanic Monument features 50,000 acres of lakes, lava flows and spectacular geologic features.
The children in our class really enjoyed hearing about the history of their own state, especially the bravery and fortitude of those pioneer families and intrepid explorers like Lewis, Clark and Sacajawea. "Little House in the Big Woods" by Laura Ingalls Wilder gave an accurate description of the lifestyle of the time as did "Apples to Oregon." I forget the author of that one, but it presents a humorous look at a family's travails as they make their way west. It is available in our local libraries. And when you plan your family's next roadtrip, do consider these historical gems in our great state of Oregon!
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