New Hampshire Montessori Association

Spring Symposium at
Newport Montessori School
Friday, March 29, 2013
 
Download a registration packet at newportmontessori.org.
 
“Teaching is a process of becoming that continues throughout life, never completely achieved, never completely denied. This is the challenge and the fun of being a teacher-there is no ultimate end to the process” Frances Mayforth
 
Jack Agati,
Keynote Presenter
Jack is a presenter and trainer in the area of human relations and management. He has combined his education and experiences into a practical and common sense series of presentations including: Why Do Kids Do What They Do? And “What Can We Do to Ensure That We Are Raising Respectable Members of the Community”.
Jack is a graduate of West Virginia Univer-sity with a Master's degree in Counseling and has done post-graduate work at the Uni-versity of Vermont. Prior to becoming a presenter, Jack worked for over fifteen years in public education as a counselor and Director of Student Services. He has also held management positions in the private sector.
Presenters
Gregg Champlin-Emergency Response Planning for Schools & Childcare Facilities
Susan Gregory-American Heart Association
Updates: CPR & First Aid
Tony Baldasaro-Institution, Ownership, and the Need to Build Participatory Cultures in our Schools
Lissanna Follari-Culture Belongs to Everyone
Jack Agati-Art of Encouragement, The Goals of MisBehavior,
Managing Misbehaviors through the use of Logical Outcomes
Christy Whipple-Methods of School Communication
Claire Doody-The Art of Language
 



DECIMAL SYSTEM AND BEYOND-NOTES FROM THE WORKSHOP
AUGUST 20, 2012


Last Monday, August 20th, more than 20 NHMA members met to refresh themselves with a review of Montessori math materials and presentations. MissE Carolan, who is a consultant with New England Early Childhood Associated (NEECA) and has been an instructor with NMI since 1992, took us through the presentations of the Golden Beads and its foundation, and then materials that help those children who are moving into abstraction and memorization. And in between, we discussed some basic philosophy and the nitty gritty of math in our classrooms.
It was a great way to get ourselves “jazzed up” about the beginning of the school year and a lovely way to get back in touch with everyone after such a wonderful summer. And I went home determined to split my huge albums into more manageable smaller ones!

Our thanks to Wanda and her staff at Green Valley Montessori School in Pembroke for hosting in their gorgeous facility. I wish my school was looking that put together that early. And many thanks to Laura and Gail for putting this workshop together. Now let’s bring on those children!!
Submitted by Chris Brown





NHMA Workshops

New Hampshire teachers meet for theme-based discussions, visit various New Hampshire Montessori classrooms and schools and attend workshops for state required credits with certified professionals. We had our first conference in the summer of 2006 with a Montessori trainer who gave a overview and review of the Montessori math materials. We have had regular meetings and workshops since that time at various members' schools.
 

 

COST:  

$40 per NHMA members, $50 non-members

 

RSVP:  

Register by contacting Laura Mammarelli  (info@nh-montessori.org)  

 

You are encouraged to bring a brown bag lunch. Coffee and tea available. 

 

 

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Previous Workshops

JUNE 2 2012 WORKSHOP:  FOOD THE MONTESSORI WAY

Summary
New Hampshire Montessori Association hosted their Spring workshop on Saturday, June 2nd in the beautiful facility of Southern NH Montessori Academy. The topic was Food The Montessori Way, and what a delight it was.

Gail Bannon and Laura Mammarelli started the morning, presenting a full year's worth of ideas for food preparation that children love to do themselves, all tied in to geography, science, holiday celebrations and cultural explorations. My personal favorite was the “oatmeal for two on a cold winter morning” presentation! We tasted cookies from Australia and came home with our own Monarch butterfly life cycle snack. And Gail provided us all with a complete brochure of all her ideas and recipes. It will be an invaluable resource for us in our classrooms.

Ellen Dyjak, with help from Deb Hogan, then presented their Edible Classroom program. They showed us how they have combined their 2-day a week school lunch program with ideals of healthy eating and knowledge of food and its preparation. Ellen explained how she has been educating children in the art of trusting their own tastes, and their ability to cook good food that is not “dumbed down” for them.
It was an inspiring talk, as Ellen described how she works with all the children at SNHMA to educate their palates and improve the range of foods that they are exposed to. Children explore various themes and participate in a wide range of lessons on food in the classroom and then these are reflected in the lunches they prepare for themselves and others. We particularly enjoyed the description of the children making their own salad dressings from a wide choice of ingredients. “Add a little, whisk and taste, add a little, whisk and taste again”. Keep an eye out again for this topic and thess presenters. They will both be well known down the road.

If you missed these great presentations, keep your fingers crossed that they come around again. We all came home with both practical ideas and inspiring thoughts for “Food the Montessori Way” in our own classrooms. Many thanks to NHMA for organizing and Deb Hogan and SNHMA for hosting.

 

PRESENTERS:
Gail Bannon, Bedford Montessori School; Ellen Dyjak, Southern NH Montessori Academy

COST:
$30 per attendee

RSVP:
Register by contacting Laura Mammarelli  (info@nh-montessori.org)
You are encouraged to bring a brown bag lunch. Coffee and tea available.
NHMA Annual Meeting to follow at 1:00pm
Participants will receive a certificate of attendance for three hours of professional development.  

Creative Food Prep for Practical Life

Ideas for seasonal food activities in the classroom

This workshop will present some new variations on favorite food work, and also some different food activities that will expand your practical life area. You will come away with snacks for the children to create and also be inspired to design your own variations. We will use special tools and techniques to create snacks that coordinate with the seasons and other themes in the classroom. If you like, bring your favorite food prep idea to share with the group.

Presented by Gail Bannon and Laura Mammarelli

Food as a Subject - Integrating Food Across the Curriculum
Inspired by Montessorian Alice Waters founder of The Chez Panisse Foundation, Southern NH Montessori Academy educator, parent and chef will share how we've embraced the integration of Food as Subject into the school culture at SNHMA. We'll share lesson topics including: holiday and cultural recognition, health, economics, grace and courtesy, and more. Through this discussion, we strive to share ideas that can be utilized across the breadth of Montessori environments.

"...by using food traditions and rituals to teach, nurture, and empower young people...envision a curriculum, integrated with the school lunch service, in which growing, cooking and sharing food at the table gives students the knowledge and values to build a humane and sustainable future". - Chez Panisse Foundation Mission Statement

Discussion Facilitated by Ellen Dyjak and Debra Hogan