We have seen how children feel more grounded and cooperative when they have a role to play. Thus, whenever possible, it’s helpful to find little (and sometimes big!) ways for children to help with holiday preparations. Children’s active participation helps them develop important life skills and also helps them better adapt to changes in holiday rhythms and routines. We wanted to share a few ideas on incorporating Montessori principles into…
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"Preventing conflicts is the work of politics, establishing peace is the work of education." Dr Maria Montessori As we celebrate the International Day of Peace this Saturday, we remind families of our mission at FMS: We are a school educating for Peace. Having lived through WWII, Maria Montessori was passionate about how to help the world towards peace. Peace is woven throughout every aspect of the Montessori curriculum. Sometimes the…
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This term, Primary school students at FMS have been practising new skills, increasing their physical activity, and learning about heart health as part of the Jump Rope for Heart program. By participating in the program, FMS primary students have been jumping, skipping, hopping and moving more every day. They are also choreographing their own moves! Committing to their practice daily, out of school hours, students are spending less time on…
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Dr. Montessori recognised that childhood development is divided into four main phases which she called ‘planes of development.’ Each plane builds upon what was learned in those previously, and each plane has both an active and passive phase. By fully understanding the developmental needs of a child — wherever they happen to be on this continuum — we are better able to create an environment that will be optimal…
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Proficient reading skills set our children up for success in so many ways. Cultivating a love of joyful reading provides them with a lifetime of inspiration, entertainment, and knowledge. Do teachers teach kids to read? Of course. But what parents do at home plays an enormous role in a child’s reading too. Here are our tips help make reading a positive experience that your child will carry joyfully throughout their…
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We were thrilled this week to host Kristina Freeman, co-founder of the award-winning Mental Health & Wellbeing program, Grow Your Mind. Children at Forestville Montessori School have been participating in Grow Your Mind as part of their learning around selfcare and wellbeing since late last year. This week, FMS parents had a personal introduction to the program, learning how it is implemented here at FMS and what they can do…
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Last weekend, FMS families joined our quarterly Working Bee. Adults, children and teachers all pitched in to work in our gardens, helping to keep our school environment beautiful and healthy. This type of community work is not unusual at FMS. From toddlers through to primary school, Montessori students engage in purposeful work. This may involve contributing to the cleanliness of the classroom, the beauty of the environment, the comfort of…
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Many families choose FMS because they are seeking an authentic Montessori education for their children. Others look to us for a non-denominational or more holistic and personally tailored education than mainstream can offer. Others yet choose a Montessori school for the pre-school years, before their child is eligible to start kindergarten at their local public school. Once that time comes, it seems natural to make that transition. Of course, we…
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This week at Forestville Montessori School, we invited the wonderful Kei from Montessori Dance to share insights about teaching dance in a Montessori environment. Movement at Montessori A key element that differentiates Montessori schools from the mainstream is our child-centred approach, emphasising the development of the whole child. Maria Montessori, the founder of the Montessori approach, believed that education should cater to all aspects of a child’s development—intellectual, physical, social,…
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As we develop a new vision and mission for our school, we continually refer to the guiding principles of Montessori philosophy. What are the values we impart to our students and how can we, as educators, leaders and parents, cultivate these in our own lives? Two words regularly used in the Montessori classroom are grace and courtesy. To inspire grace and courtesy in our children, we need to model these…
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