Montessori Tides School – Jacksonville Beach, FL

National Kids to Parks Day

Saturday, May 18th

Montessori Tides School is joining forces with teachers, families, cities, towns, and parks to help promote this year’s National Kids to Parks Day, a nation-wide day of outdoor play organized by National Park Trust. This year’s Kids to Park Day will be held on Saturday, May 18, 2013, the week before the official start of Summer.

We want to encourage you to gear up and explore your neighborhood parks and discover the history, nature and adventure right around the corner from you.

To help jump start your family adventure into the great outdoors, the Beaches Local Food Network in Neptune Beach is hosting a Children’s Garden Workshop on Saturday morning from 9am-10am at Jarboe Park. If you joined us for our last Parent Education Night, then

Dr. Montessori’s understanding of the importance of the child’s connection with nature, and its effect on healthy human development, has been validated through recent research. In his book, “The Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder,” journalist Richard Louv notes the significant role that nature plays in personality integration. Like Montessori, who stated that “when children come into contact with nature they reveal their strength,” Louv also believes that “nature calms us, helps us focus, and excites our senses.” His 15 year study, involving the interviewing of parents, teachers, college students, scientists, religious leaders, child development specialists and environmentalists, helps bring credence to this theory. Unfortunately, studies show that less and less time is spent in the outdoors by children, and that “their intimacy with nature on a day-to-day basis is fading.” A fifth grader

A big thank you to everyone who attended our Parent Education Night on Thursday night. Kelly Johnson did an amazing presentation. We became inspired to create future generations of happy, healthy, ecologically literate children by meeting the childs desire to “grow their own” while also discovering the history and the importance of the children’s gardening movement, which seamlessly aligns to Dr. Maria Montessori values on children and nature. Kelly also explored techniques for integrating gardening into children’s lives and across curricula, provided hands-on activities, and shared ways we can get the children in our lives connected to the wonders of their natural world by joining them in nature.

As promised here are the links Kelly mentioned in her presentation along with a list of resources to inspire wonder.

Kelly Johnson’s Blog
Wings, Worms & Wonder (Purchase

Ms. DeAnne provides in the video below practical reasoning behind dressing a toddler for a successful school day. She also suggest the adult can control choice when we organize all appropriate school clothing apart from other clothing. Thus, beginning to teach the child how to dress appropriate for daily activities.

If you are unable to view the embedded video below, click here.

Ms. Stephanie along with several other teachers from MTS went to a workshop at the AMS conference titled, Mindfulness: From Childhood to Adolescence. During this workshop, keynote speakers discussed the use of mindfulness and meditation exercises to INCREASE social behavior, self-esteem, and concentration in the classroom. Upon returning, Ms. Stephanie couldn’t wait to spark her student’s mindfulness by implementing a new and fun way to start the day… light a candle, ring a bell, close eyes, focus on posture and breathing… training the mind to pause and think.

So what is practicing mindfulness for a child?

Practicing Mindfulness by definition is