Montessori Buzz – April 7, 2020
A Message from Tina, our Executive Director
Dear MA Families,
Spring is here and I don’t know about you, but I have been immensely grateful for the sunshine and to feel its warmth surrounding me. Spring is a time for new beginnings and it is apparent our greater society is figuring out how to collaborate in new and unheard-of ways. I read in a blog post yesterday; “the human race has never before faced a SINGULAR enemy. And we are responding, in unison, in record numbers.” Doctors, nurses and all of our front line workers are functioning at a pace and level of collective courage we have never seen before, all over the world. Scientists, engineers and manufacturers are working against this pandemic and sharing data and information to move new ideas, technology and treatments required, for the benefit of every human. This is what it truly means to work together for the greater good.
In Education for a New World (1946), Dr. Maria Montessori says, “Education should no longer be mostly imparting of knowledge, but must take a new path, seeking the release of human potentialities,” showing us once again, how she was ahead by a century. This continues to unfold not only in regards to what is happening in the world around us, but also in the work that is happening in each and every one of your homes through your children.
“Staying positive doesn’t mean you have to be happy all the time. It means that even on the hard days, you know there are better ones coming.” Our new beginning will come one day too – we just have to stay centred in acceptance and keep being patient.
Be well,
Tina Sartori, Executive Director
Zoom session improved security
There’s been media coverage over the past few days about security issues using Zoom. Rest assured, our teaching staff were already being vigilant about who was showing up in their sessions, and have put the following protocols into place to mitigate these risks starting this week:
- Meeting ID’s are not shared publicly
- Wait rooms are enable so staff see every participant and admit only our students
- Screen sharing is possible for the teachers only
- File transfer function is disabled
- Chat box is disabled for the lower levels; for the older ones that use it, private messages are disabled
If any classes have not yet started using a password setting for meetings, this will be implemented very soon because of Zoom’s platform-wide upgrades over the weekend.
Reminder: Interim Reports are now available
Interim Reports are now available through the MA Parent Portal. After logging in, select your child’s name in the top left corner. The Interim Report is available under the Progress tab.
Reminder: Friday and Monday are stat holidays
The school will be closed on April 10 and April 13 for Good Friday and Easter Monday; there will be no Zoom sessions with students and the office staff will not be available on those days. Have a great long weekend.
MA Summer Sports Camp registration is open
MA’s MA-zing gym teacher Janet is hosting a Summer Sports Camp. Registration is open to Upper Elementary students and their friends from the public who are currently in Years 4-6! The camp will run during the weeks of July 13 and July 20 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Please note there are no Extended Hours for this program.
Sports and activities include basketball, volleyball, soccer, dodgeball and floor hockey! The cost is $215 per one-week session. Find more details and register through the links below:
- Registration form for MA Sports Camp 2020: Week of July 13-17.
- Registration form for MA Sports Camp 2020: Week of July 20-24.
April is Volunteer Month!
“Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart.” – Elizabeth Andrew.
For some people, volunteering is about giving. But for our parents, it is a way of living. Thank you for all that you do to support our community.
While we had hoped to celebrate the many ways you give to us with a High Tea this month, our plans, like so many others, have been put on hold. We want you to know that we are thinking of you and are so grateful for the time and energy you have committed to us over the past year. And now, as you help navigate learning at home with your children, we are more grateful than ever for the ways you continue to rise to the occasion and do what is needed.
Whether it is rides to games, accompanying classes on field trips, sharing special talents with our students, volunteering on a committee, or helping with special events, every minute given is cherished by us! There is so much that could not have been done without you.
Volunteer Month is a National initiative that celebrates the value of volunteering across the Country. While we are thankful every day of the year, we would like to join the widespread initiative to thank our volunteers during this meaningful month. Thank you.
Guest: Mike Hall Visits Junior High
By Alec, Elle and Rayne
On Wednesday, Junior High had Mike Hall, the founder and President of CheckFluid, a London-based automotive company join a Zoom call, and answered student questions about his company, how he came up with his ideas and more. Junior High students had the opportunity to submit questions for Mike, and the students ran the meeting, asking Mike the questions their classmates had asked. It was great to hear his story about his company and how it came to be. Mike talked about choosing a topic or idea by finding a problem and coming up with a solution. Mike discussed the five steps of problem-solving, covered by the “Theory of Constraints.”
Mike equipped us to solve the problems we see around us through our GIFT projects. Junior High thanks Mike for coming in to talk to us. We hope this will stir the minds of the students for their GIFT project ideas- A longstanding tradition of Junior High students coming up with a “gift” to Humanity and presenting it to the rest of the class. The GIFT project is a Junior High project in which Junior High students find a problem that is happening around us or in the world that is near to our hearts and we try to make a solution or a device that could help along the way. The GIFTS project occurs every other year so every Junior High student does it once. Some of the projects have been put to work in real life situations, for example sewing bears for the Children’s Hospital. We look forward to seeing everyone’s amazing innovations!
“It [Checkfluid] has been a learning curve for all of us.” – Mike Hall.
If you missed it last week, check out the GIFT project video here: https://vimeo.com/401992577/359bff1bf3
From the Community
London Children’s Museum: Online dance party is tomorrow!
Tomorrow night the Children’s Museum is hosting an online dance party on Wednesday. Find details on their website: https://www.londonchildrensmuseum.ca/calendar/events/virtual-family-dance-party-dj-alpha
Budding Artists – Social distancing activities: