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Show Volume VIII Issue VIII THE OGDEN VALLEY NEWS Page 13 August 1, 2003 Looking Ahead to Montessori Elementary Montessori education does not have to end with the preschool experience. It can continue into a child’s elementary years. Beginning September 1, this is what Ogden Valley Montessori School plans to offer a class for children ages 6 to 9. The school has just concluded a successful first year preschool program for children ages 3 to 6. Like Montessori Preschool, the Montessori Elementary program is based on three-year age groupings. At both levels, the multi-age grouping provides children with opportunities for broad social development. Six to nine-year-old children have the mark of a philosopher. Wonder is intrinsic to their learning, and they want to know everything about everything. They love a story: “In the beginning, before your parents were born, before your grandparents were born, before there were even people on the earth, before there was even an earth—there was nothing . . .” So begins one version of “The Story of the Universe,” the first of five stories known as the Great Lessons that are told in the Montessori Elementary program. As the students ponder the story, one question leads to another: I wonder how many solar systems there are . . . I wonder how the volcanoes cooled down . . . I wonder what color the first ocean was . . . I wonder . . . Montessori Elementary education speaks to children’s imagination, and sets them off on a lifelong voyage of discovery. The Great Lessons are connected stories that span the enormous historical frames of time and space. “The Coming of Life” introduces the history of life on earth from one-cell animals and plants all the way to human beings. “The Coming of Humans” relates the significance of human beings, their special abilities, and what differentiates us from other life forms. “The Story of Communication in Signs” and “The Story of Numbers” provide a look at human invention in the context of expanding civilizations. From this core framework emanates the details of the disciplines: science, mathematics, social studies, and language. The story provides an overview; and the children then investigate the disciplines in detail. But because of the unifying thread of the Great Lessons, no subject is studied in isolation from the others. After exposure to each story, the children freely explore their own questions prompted by the story, either in small groups or individually. Some may work with timelines and other materials designed to support the stories. Some may perform experiments using materials available in the classroom. Some may gather information from library books or a local science or natural history museum, enjoying the process of conducting research on their own, at their own pace, following their own interests. A Montessori Elementary education does not give the child a collection of unrelated facts but rather bestows a vision of inter-related knowledge and a love of learning. The Montessori Elementary teacher is trained to be an “enlightened generalist,” with knowledge deep enough to know the fascinating details of each of the disciplines and broad enough to connect those details into a “big picture” across the disciplines. He or she is also fully trained in the principles of child development. Just as in the Montessori Preschool program, a child in the Montessori Elementary program usually has the same teacher for three years. A teacher who has a child for all subjects for three years gains an intimate knowledge of the child, which is seldom possible in a oneyear classroom relationship. The teacher is tuned in to the unique personality of each child. This sensitivity permits the teacher to “direct” each child into areas of natural interest. In a classroom where students pursue their own interests at their own pace, without textbooks or time blocks for each subject, parents VOLUNTEERS ! often ask whether their child will receive a well-rounded education. What if a child completely avoids a certain area of the environment, such as mathematics or grammar? Montessori Elementary does not ignore the “basics” of reading, writing and arithmetic. The answers to this question are many. First, because the disciplines are so fully integrated and the child’s natural curiosity aroused, avoidance of an entire area is not at all likely. Second, the Montessori educator is intimately familiar not only with every aspect of the prepared environment but also with every child in the class. Because of the teacher’s careful observation, any avoidance becomes apparent, and the teacher works on drawing out the child’s curiosity about the area being avoided. Finally, in contrast to a grade-level classroom where the child has one year to cover certain learning objectives, the Montessori Elementary classroom provides flexibility over three years. The areas that do not attract the child’s interest this year may hold great fascination next year. The student can explore them whenever the interest arises, without ever being “behind.” The Montessori Elementary is equipped with a great array of specialized, hands-on learning materials. Each material has its structured sequences designed to lead to discovery and understanding. The elementary-aged child is moving from an understanding of the physical world to an understanding of abstract concepts. Mathematics, for instance, is presented through three-dimensional, manipulative materials that reveal simultaneously arithmetic, geometric and algebraic correlations—each providing a concrete way to experience an abstract concept. Likewise, the grammar materials use symbols and visual patterns to help the child discover parts of speech and analyze the structure, style, and logic of sentences. These exercises refine reading and writing skill and lay the foundations for foreign language study. The founder of the Montessori method of education, Dr. Maria Montessori, wrote: “Our aim is not merely to make the children understand, and still less to force them to memorize, but so to touch their imagination as to enthuse them to their innermost core. We do not want complacent pupils but eager ones.” This is the goal of the Ogden Valley Montessori School and its staff. The school’s Director, Amanda Scheuermann, will continue the age 3 to 6 Preschool program and will launch the age 6 to 9 Elementary program this September. She also plans to open a program for ages 10 to 12 in the fall of 2004. The school, near Eden Park, is currently running a summer program for children ages 3 to 9. The program is available on a daily or weekly basis. For more information on the Ogden Valley Montessori School, please call Amanda at 3911656 (cell) or 745-3383 (school). You can also visit their web site at www.ovms.org Call Katie for info @ 690-8308 According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), faulty home electrical wiring is responsible for 40,000 fires a year, and results in the loss of 350 lives, thousands of electrical shock and burn injuries, and more than $2 billion in personal property damage. With electrical energy use typically on the rise during the warmer weather, this is an excellent time to conduct a 10-step home electrical safety inspection. 1. Electrical Outlets. Check for loose-fitting plugs that can be a shock or fire hazard. Replace missing or broken wall plates so wiring and components are not exposed. 2. GFCIs. Make sure GFCIs are installed in your kitchen, bathrooms, workshop, basement, garage, and outdoor areas where water and electricity are likely to come in contact. Test them monthly to ensure they work property. 3. Plugs. Never force them into outlet. Don’t remove the ground pin (third prong) to make a three-prong plug fit a two-conductor outlet. Avoid overloading outlets with adapters and too many appliance plugs. 4. Cords. Make sure they are not frayed or cracked, placed under carpets or rugs, resting on furniture or located in high-traffic areas. Do not nail or staple them to walls, floors, or other objects. 5. Extension Cords. Use on a temporary basis only. They are not intended as permanent household wiring. Make sure they have safety closures to protect young children from shock hazards, and mouth burn injuries. 6. Light Bulbs. Check the wattage to make sure they match the fixture requirements. Replace bulbs that have higher wattage ratings than recommended. Make sure they are screwed in securely sot they don’t overheat. 7. Circuit Breakers/Fuses. Fuses should be properly rated for the circuit they are protecting. If you don’t know the correct rating, have an electrician identify and label the correct size to be used. Always replace a fuse with the same size you are removing. Check that circuit breakers are working properly. 8. Appliances/Electronics. If an appliance repeatedly blows a fuse, trips a circuit breaker, or has given you an electrical shock, immediately unplug it and have it repaired or replaced. Look for cracks or damage in wiring, plugs, and connectors. Use surge protectors to protect expensive electronics. 9. Outdoor Connections. Electric-powered lawn equipment and power tools should not be used in the rain, on wet grass, or in wet conditions. Inspect for frayed cords, broken plugs, and cracked or broken housings. Always use an extension cord rated for outdoor use. 10. Service Capacity. Electrical systems can become overloaded. As you continue to upgrade your home with more lighting, appliances, and electronics, your home’s electrical service capacity may become overburdened. If fuses blow or circuit breakers trip frequently, you may need to increase your home’s electrical service, and add new branch circuits. A qualified, licensed electrician can determine the appropriate service requirements for your home, and proved you with an estimate of the cost to upgrade. Note: This information was taken from Utah State University, Weber County Extension “Sampler” June 2003 newsletter. For more information, contact the Extension office at 399-8200. Subscriptions available for out of area residents at $18.00 annually. Send payment with mailing address to: THE OGDEN VALLEY NEWS P O BOX 130 EDEN UT 84310 801-745-4000 2555 WOLF CREEK DR. EDEN STORE HOURS: MON. - SAT. 7 AM - 10 PM SUNDAY 7 AM - 9 PM Fresh picked Utah Corn & Willard Peaches now available Big Ball Paint Balls $9 99 Limit 2 w/ coupon Expires 8/15/03 18 pack Popsicles 88 c with coupon Limit 2 bags per coupon Large 6” Asst. Perennials Great Selection $2.99 Limit 20 with coupon Expires 8/15/03 Expires 8/15/03 Jumbo Red Vines 17.6 oz. bag 79 c with coupon Limit 3 per coupon Expires 8/15/03 All Scrapbook Supplies While supplies last! Sign up now to be part of the Eden Balloon & Arts Festival. Electrical Safety: Does your home pass the test? 20% OFF with coupon Expires 8/15/03 Plastic Patio Chairs $4.29 w/ coupon Green and White available Limit 6 Expires 8/15/03 801-745-4200 540 S. 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