Personality and Learning Styles

23/2 February 2014

www.international-montessori.org

www.international-montessori.org Brussels

A Newsletter for the families of ‘International Montessori’

Author: Annie Hoekstra-de Roos

Layout: Inspirit

Personality and Learning Styles Inside: Personality and Learning Styles Personality styles become apparent during Early Childhood Characteristics of each personality styles at a young age Catering for different learning styles at school Limits are needed to create respect for others Ourselves, the parents It takes a village to raise a child

Personality and Learning Styles

All people are different. We are an amazing species, in that none of us are the same! We move, act and think differently. We have different belief systems and values. We also all learn differently. We acquire knowledge in different ways; have different strengths and weaknesses and function predominantly from a different set of intelligences.

Nature determines partly who we are and nurture continues to shape the identity of each individual.

The brain is a very flexible organ, especially in the first six years of life. It can adapt to any culture and any language. This is a great plus but also a negative. It makes it a fragile process since the brain depends on what is on offer in the outside environment. This environment is made up of the parents and caretakers, extended family, school, friends, neighbourhood, country and culture at large.

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In this series of newsletters, the focus will be first on nature. We will look at a selection of personality types and related learning styles. Every person has a core, what Montessori called ‘The secret of childhood’.

We are who we are. And we also want to stay whom we are. To feel true to our heart, we cannot become different to our origin. To become happy, we need acknowledgement for whom we are. This basic concept translates into predominant characteristics through which we are recognisable by others. It also translates into preferred learning styles.

This is where education comes into the picture.

If we all agree that everyone is different, than this needs to be acted upon on a daily level. The traditional segmentation of large groups of children

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and students by birthdate is unnatural. As if they would all be the same when divided by ‘batches’ of the same age. Yet, due to the adults having gone through the same system, and therefore accepting it as ‘normal’ it is still the way that most students are taught. But how can a teacher accommodate the needs of a large group of three year olds? How can a secondary teacher cater for the different learning styles of a class of 25 teenagers? The TED Talk clip, found on Youtube, of Sir Ken Robinson named “Do schools kill creativity?” explains it very well. You might also like to see the RSA Animate – Changing Education Paradigms.

Children require an individualised approach in order to be able to develop their full potential.

Due to the fact that they have different strengths and weaknesses, the teacher needs to know each child well and put different ingredients into the environment. This provides students with learning situations in which the individual learns best and simultaneously helps the student out of their comfort zone bit by bit.

How to do this? Amongst other professionals, Dr. Montessori provided a lot of information on how to individualise the approach to teaching. She conducted teacher training courses which included a lot of psychology and encouraged teachers to observe students, to be able to know the child’s individual temperament. The observation skill Montessori imparted was a special kind. She trained teachers to ‘look’ without judging; to take oneself out of the equation and to diminish preconceived ideas.

Additionally there is a lot of recent research that helps in recognising personality traits and learning styles. Some of the theories have originally been developed for the business world. The MyersBriggs indicator is one of these and is used as a tool in creating successful teams. It specifically looks at the interpersonal intelligence and related communication style of the employee and uses the terminology: Relater, Socializer, Thinker, Director style, Indirect and Direct.

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In the fitness and healthcare industry William Sheldon’s analysis of personality traits is sometimes used using the terminology Ectomorph, Mesomorph and Endomorph. This looks at both the physical and psychological priorities of a person, thus dividing people in three categories.

Howard Gardner has studied individual’s temperament, work habits, social relationships, fact processing and many other skills and came to the division of initially seven intelligences. In further studies he added additional ones. This is a huge expansion from the division of students into auditory, visual and tactile. With this ‘old’ division of learning styles, one only looks at how the student perceives information at it’s best.

Howard Gardner’s work, along with the work of Daniel Goleman on emotional intelligence, it has become very clear that social, emotional, natural, intrapersonal and musical intelligences influence the learning process and academic success as much as mathematical, linguistic and visual-spatial intelligence. This expanded theory helps teachers a lot in observing students and consequently determining strengths and challenges. It not only looks at input of information but also how the child engages and processes information. Upon this, a personalised approach can be formed to assist the child in developing his/her full capacity. To be able to do this one needs individualised education.

Deriving from Howard Gardner’s work, Mark Wahl, in his book ‘Math for humans’, came to four learning styles. Each learning style is given a name of an animal, thus giving them easy recognition.

Each animal entails a combination of personality characteristics, work habits, attitudes, approaches and social relationships that together give a description that sounds familiar.

These learning styles are called Beaver, Owl, Dolphin and Fox. These names trigger the imagination and give an initial idea. Each animal will be described in relation to a specific age range. This newsletter will continue by focusing on children aged 0 to 6. Subsequent newsletters will respectively cover the Primary

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and the Secondary stage.

The descriptions of the learning styles will go into the strengths and challenges of each learning style and focus on the influence it has on life in the classroom. This influence is threefold: 1) Creating activities and the classroom environment as such that the child to work through his/her own learning style. By acknowledging the style, children feel respected and accepted and can learn efficiently.

2) Determining a framework for boundary setting so that a child/student does not get too stuck in one way of working.

3) Assisting in the development of skills of the other learning styles so that the student has the opportunity in becoming a harmonious individual.

This information is very useful both in the school setting and also for the home environment. It is interesting for parents to see what the personality style of their child is and simultaneously analyse themselves. Even though children are born from us, they are not the same as us. They might have

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a completely different learning style from their mum or dad. This can create friction and anxiety, however when well informed it can also assist parents in determining their approach at home and in knowing what limits to set and freedoms to give in order to help the child remain on a constructive path of growth.

The information is also interesting for students themselves. From the Middle Years Programme onwards students are mature enough to look at themselves and evaluate their functioning. Every now and then, the theory is presented to the students for them to get to know their strengths and challenges and learn to act upon them without it taking away from their self-esteem.

We need to be aware that every person can feel close to one or more styles. Not everyone has characteristics of only one learning style. And as life moves on, hopefully we have characteristics of all styles, thereby having been able to maintain our original self and having developed skills of the other learning styles. Since that makes us flexible, adaptable and therefore successful!

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Personality styles become apparent during Early Childhood Focus on the ages 0 to 6

Nature provides every child with a set of genes.

Not one child is the same. The eating patterns and sleeping patterns differ, and so does the manner of making contact, the smiles, likes and dislikes. The time a child starts to crawl, walk and talk is also different thus all together giving us a glimpse on what kind of child we have in front of us.

The child has a natural urge of wanting to develop. Nature is amazing and has built in common sensitivities during the different stages of development.

Thus assisting the child in developing an array of characteristics and skills. Montessori called these sensitive periods.

Madeleine Nash, in the article named ‘Fertile Minds’ used the term “windows of opportunity”.

So development can be seen as a kind of matrix.

On the horizontal bar we have the windows of opportunity and on the vertical bar we have the learning styles. A child will have a predominant set of characteristics and simultaneously nature offers

moments in life to develop these deeper and wider.

In the period of 0 to 6 years old, the child has an absorbent mind. This mind allows him/her to absorb life around him deeply, intensely and unconsciously.

The child absorbs language, communication patterns, movement, mannerisms, body language, and related values, ideas, judgments and preconceived ideas.

The absorbent mind thrives best when life proceeds in an ordered manner.

This way the brain does not receive too much information at once, but can absorb it in portions and store it in the developing neuronetwork. Therefore the sense of order is very strong in these children. They get ready easily by themselves when coat, hat and mittens are all in the same reliable place. They dress themselves when they can choose between two sets of clothes instead of a wardrobe full. They pack away their toys when a limited amount is to be chosen from and presented on a shelf.

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Characteristics of each personality style at a young age Beaver

since concentration, inner discipline, natural urge to complete tasks and organised behaviour comes quiet naturally to them when they find themselves in an organised environment.

A beaver born in a ‘chaotic’ home environment might cry a lot, sulk or become anxious. In this case the environment is not catering to the inner need of the child.

Beavers thrive well with regular naps, routine meals and scheduled activities. Hasty, unorganised or spontaneous outings might put him/her off balance and cause distress.

Security also comes from (unspoken) rules, consistent behaviour from the parents and logical limits. Preschool beavers can be quite determined to stay in their routine, also when it is not available, thereby not always considering the needs of others.

Order is one of the main characteristics of the profile of the Beaver. Toddlers who have Beaver characteristics thrive when the house is well organised and limits are understandable and consistent. They use the external environment to develop internal understanding and classification of the world, thus forming a structured mental base to which new information can be added as they grow older.

Young beavers need acknowledgement for their strengths, need to be able to live a routine life to feel secure and on the odd basis have little spontaneous sparks measured into their existence in order to become flexible and develop the skills of the other learning styles.

Young Beavers like routine, when days are lived along this routine they will join in happily. When the routine is broken, they might react in a stressed manner, more than you would see in non-Beavers. Their sense of order is strongly developed at a young age. This is a great asset to future learning,

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Owl

want to take part in family life. Owls need gentle introduction into the world, so that they see interesting aspects that challenge the mind.

Owls can of course become very wise. They absorb language quickly, are often able to speak early but do not talk a lot. They can show an early interest in reading and writing, wanting to explore the written world, since this is a safe way, opening the world at large and being able to stay by oneself at the same time.

Young owls are recognised as babies who are happy in their cot, do not make a lot of noise and do not cry a lot for attention. They are quiet babies, sometimes called the ‘good’ babies. Drawback of this is that they are sometimes more on their own than what is good for them.

Owls normally do not need too much sleep. Food is not an important item; they eat when it is available.

It might be hard to get an owl to the dinner table when this request does not meet his or her need.

However, persistence and logical limits are to the benefit of the child here.

Young owls need to have their portion of quiet time to feel good. They reflect on life and need their time to form priorities. Simultaneously, logical social relationship limits are important, in order for the owl not to become ‘lost’ in him/herself.

Owls like to be by themselves. They like their own company. They like to spend time withdrawing in their own thoughts, making soft noises, play with their toes and be content. Therefore to assist an owl in feeling good as an owl, the house needs to be relatively quiet. Owls do not tolerate a lot of noise, distraction, music and tv sounds in the background.

This creates anxiety and owls will respond by falling asleep, thus being called again the ‘good’ baby.

However owls need drawing out. They need little challenging limits that do not offer too much anxiety but enough challenge to

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Dolphin

playgroup, they will not hesitate to share their toys and think up fun activities.

Young dolphin children need a substantial amount of sleep to recuperate from their busy activities.

They like their food and love to eat together. A dolphin baby will eat very little when he is fed by himself. It is the social engagement along with the food that is important.

Dolphins can be rather stubborn and holding on to mum when mum has instigated separation.

They like the attachment and need to be offered interesting activities for them to be enthused to let go. Logical limits are needed here, so that the child does not become too dependent.

Their strength is feeling other people’s feelings, so they make friends easily.

They are intuitive and might react to experiences that others would not.

This can be due to the fact that they feel the emotions that are going around.

Dolphins make you smile; it is important for them to be liked. They value being together and sharing experiences with others.

Hence, they are not happy babies by themselves in a cot. They like being held, smiled and cood at and entertained.

At their best they create warmth, at their worst they can be self-absorbed.

Once they can walk, one rarely sees Dolphin children alone.

They play with others, initiate activities, talk, laugh and care for others. Their main mode is being social. They dislike being alone. Dolphins have a high level of empathy for others from an early stage onwards.

From when they become conscious members of a

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Dolphins need an environment which is creative and colourful.

They thrive in working situations that emphasises being together, friendship and love. They also need boundaries, in order to balance their personality. Since they use their right side of the brain (associated with creativity and emotions) abundantly, they also need to be encouraged with left-brain thinking, which involves logical thought.

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Fox

others and the patience to look at items in full detail.

Foxes are usually physically fit and active.

They like games with running, climbing and exploring. Offering this in combination with quieter activities gives the chance to develop characteristics that are not ‘fox-like’ but will improve future concentration abilities.

Young foxes are so cute. They learn from their surrounding that there is not only one way to reach the chicken coup. What does this entail in human behaviour? Well, foxes are not so keen on routine.

Fox babies might object easily to recurring events and not want to join in. As babies they cry when bored, want to be picked up and need stimulation.

This become the threat in their lives. They easily see through people’s thought and mannerism. They need sparks in their life and can otherwise display negative behaviour.

Patience is not their strength, but speed is. Fox babies require a new set of toys quicker than other children. They like outings to the supermarket, excursions to the park and other entertaining and new experiences.

Foxes need logical limits that are age appropriate in order to develop that other people have needs too; that speed is not the only criteria in life. When eating, it is good to require to stay at the table till others are done (within limits of course). When getting dressed we do not leave the house until all necessary items are on. A bit of ‘enforced’ consideration will develop later in empathy for

Foxes need freedom to thrive. They need to be acknowledged for whom they are, otherwise they will claim this by themselves.

This freedom needs boundaries that are age appropriate.

Since social relationships are his/her weaker side, play dates are important moments for learning social skills. It is of paramount importance for their holistic development to experience on a regular basis that other people have needs too and that these need to be honoured.

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Catering for different learning styles at school

With the division of four learning styles, there must be about 25% of each learning style in a classroom. In order for a child to develop to his/her utmost the physical environment and psychological environment needs to cater to the child’s sensitivities. Simultaneously it needs to enthuse the child to develop skills from the other learning types.

With the sensitivities at this age range being order, language acquisition, sensorial exploration, movement and the development of will, Montessori teachers develop a prepared environment with a variety of opportunities.

In order not to obstruct the intense period of selfdevelopment during the first three years of life, the environment is completely scaled down to the

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children’s size. Children receive presentations on how to work with the materials and can then move independently in the room. A beaver can enjoy his routine of activities, taking them by himself and packing them away again. An owl can find individual settings to work quietly on his activity, dolphins can choose a song card from the box and ask the teacher and other children to form a group and sing songs. Foxes do not need to wait for other children and perform activities at the preferred speed, instead they can browse around and check out interesting activities other children are doing.

The environment allows for independence due to all scaled down utensils. Independence offers a kind of freedom, every learning style needs in order to choose and feel good at what he/she is

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doing. Therefore a large emphasis is also placed on learning to dress oneself, put on boots, slippers and hats. Thereby using ones own hands to become in control of one’s own body.

In this process a dolphin child loves helping others: put on their boots, take a tissue so they can blow their nose. Fox children like to be out first and take the treasures from the shed. Owls like to sit and reflect and need the adult to put a limit on the amount of pondering. “Let’s go outside now, the weather is beautiful!” provides the message for the owl child to start moving. The beaver child will know exactly what steps need to be taken to get outside: winter gear first, then hats, then boots and last mittens. Otherwise you cannot use your hands to put your boots on.

The Montessori teachers use language in a direct manner to guide the thinking of young children.

Thereby knowing which child needs which message.

The word ‘no’ is used when necessary, but mostly enforceable statements and positive directives are used. This helps the children absorb more vocabulary and gives the limits where they need it. The “Love and Logic” organisation verbalizes this nicely: ‘Thinking words are a way of saying’ “no” by saying

“yes”.

Some examples: Instead of saying “Do not run”, we say “Please

stop”.

Instead of “Do not shout” it is “I

listen to you when your voice is quiet”.

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Instead of “You can not go outside because you do not wear a coat” we say “As soon as you

wear your coat, you play in the sunshine!”

Children aged 0 to 3 act on an unconscious level.

They do not have enough life experiences yet, to base logical reasoning on. This mental facility starts slowly upon experiences. Therefore it is important that the adult looks at the intention of the child.

Should the adult always react to the outcome, then it becomes negative. What counts is what the child intended to do. And this is nearly always good.

The adult can guide the intentions with positive language and thereby create a positive experience.

This builds the child’s self-esteem and builds on the child’s neuro-network. Based upon that, logical reasoning develops slowly and comes into action from approximately three years old onwards.

The multi age range in the Children’s House ensures that the child is first the youngest, then in the middle and then one of the older children in the group. This factor is important for catering for the different learning types. A beaver likes to follow the group and act within the perimeters of that group. In order to help them take a little risk, it is good to have older children there, who, through

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their natural behaviour show how development continues and that that is not to be scared of. Owls need drawing out. This does not necessarily work with children of the same age. Maybe they connect well to a younger child by helping him learn the letters or read a book. Dolphins feel comfortable with their own little group of ‘friends’. This is good of course, however to balance, it is also good to come out of one’s comfort zone now and then. So a multi age range allows for different groupings and opportunities. Foxes are speedy, and understand things quickly. Being with older children stimulates the mind and enthuses others to act with materials that are of the appropriate level.

The choice of materials enthuses social awareness and respect. There is only one of each material.

This helps beavers in choosing something new and owls in needing to communicate with another child to know when the material will become available.

Having only one material encourages dolphins to sometimes work by themselves and foxes to find materials that involves less repetition. At the same time they can work with materials that meet their learning style. Each day the student is given the message, you are GOOD AS YOU ARE and allowing for opportunities to DEVELOP SKILLS of the other

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learning styles. These two ingredients help a child feel comfortable and happy within his/her ‘own skin’

and simultaneously is enthused in a safe manner to go every day a little bit beyond their comfort zone.

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Limits are needed to create respect for others

Why such an emphasis on the word limits? Limits are needed for a person not to become limitless.

Limits are actually needed for logical thinking to develop. If matters have no reason, why think? Logical thinking starts to develop at this young age. Children need to receive appropriate directives and restrictions since it is necessary to learn to understand that other people have needs to. This is the base of social development.

Individuals who do not respect limits, will never be able to respect others.

By nature children move through three levels of respect.

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1) The first level is that a child can only ‘obey’ someone else when it meets his/her needs. This is a natural phase that belongs to the first three years of life. It is built in by nature so that the child is not ‘bothered’ yet by too many restrictions and can spend all their energy on self-construction. During this period the infant and toddler slowly realise that they are a separate entity from mum. At birth they become physically separated but it still takes three years for the mind to mature to a separate individual organism.

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This oneness and separateness process is beautifully described in the book with the same name written by Dr. Kaplan. As mum is slowly claiming her separateness again during the first three years of the child’s life, the infant receives the message that both people are unique beings with their own likes and dislikes. This is a very necessary process for the child in order to be able to form their own identity. Limit setting is a necessary part of this process; “ No, please do not bite mummy”, “I can not pick you up right now, I am carrying the groceries”, “Hold my hand when we cross the street” and other phrases help this process along.

Once this process is ‘completed’ the child actually starts saying “I”. Before that it was the child calling himself by his own name, or saying “me”. So the language indicates a little where the child is in the process.

2) Once the child has integrated the identity, he/ she becomes ready to integrate in a group.

This brings new experiences since other people will point out their likes and dislikes. This helps the child to move to the second level of respect. Which is being able to

do what someone else asks even when it does not meet a personal need. This is a huge step

in the social development and the base for successful relationships. By nature, the period of 3 to 6 is set aside for this intense growth in social awareness. In school this is very obvious, since it is the time where children, instead of working parallel to each other as they do in the Toddler Community, start to like to sit together and work in small groups. Therefore some of the materials have now also ‘matured’ from an individual to a groups level. Children practice social rules, they have little conflicts, start to learn problem solving language and techniques and learn to ‘listen’ to others. In groups sessions the teachers

introduce ‘Grace and Courtesy’ exercises. They sit in a circle and play a little scene on e.g. how to say “Good morning”, how to say “thank you”, how to say “can I help you?” Due to their conscious mind the children can now experience and learn to think about social interactions and courtesies.

3) Based upon healthy completion of the first two levels of respect, a third level exists in that

individuals respect the larger whole. This is due to the fact that they are

respected themselves for whom they are. This is where the theory of the learning styles comes in again. When an individual feels respect from parents/teachers/caretakers for whom he really is and can therefore develop to the utmost, simultaneously becoming consciously aware of the challenges, he projects that respect on the surrounding world.

This is the base for respect for other cultures, international mindedness, but also respect for nature, animals and the world at large. Ecology can never just be a subject. Nor does sorting out ones rubbish help a child develop respect for the world at large. Also the quote “Eat, because in Africa there are starving children!” does not have any effect on respect for others. It is a much deeper understanding of child development what is needed here. Respect stems from having been respected oneself for ones true inner life, and simultaneously having been given the limits so that the child did not stick to one learning style but formed an integrated whole with an open mind and a great deal of common sense.

As parents, of course we want our children to become happy. But we must not make the mistake that happiness comes from getting what one wants.

When children do not get the age appropriate limits, they get their way instead. A feeling of entitlement develops in the child. “I am entitled

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to… because Johnny has it!” “I am entitled to a parent who drives me everywhere….”’, ” I am entitled to a teacher who is not allowed to make my life difficult”. Jim Fay, part of the ‘Love and Logic’ group has written a very enlightening book on this topic named ‘From Innocence to Entitlement’, a Love and Logic cure for the Tragedy of Entitlement. A tragedy it is, since the original

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intention was wanting the child to become happy.

Happiness comes through achievements. We help children when we ask them to become responsible individuals within the family. They have age appropriate roles to fill which help to create independence so that they can fulfill their roles successfully.

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Ourselves, the parents Knowing our children also involves knowing ourselves. To ask ourselves the question, who am I predominantly? What is my learning style? Am I a beaver and I want everything tidy, organised and structured? Am I an owl and I like my house quiet? I do not like the show of emotions and the endless talk? Am I a dolphin and everything needs to be fun, creative and intuitive or maybe a Fox and things need to be efficient, speedy, and to the point?

Who is my partner actually? An impatient but innovative fox? A playful, imaginative dolphin who likes to please others? A restless, anxious owl who knows a lot? Or a predictable beaver who likes routine?

lesson for the child and not a battle of wills of two different learning styles.

Knowing who we are, ensures that we can raise children consciously. It assists in forming a strategy that is good for the child. Parents are the prime educators and are the vehicles through which growth and maturity happens. Discussing issues at home helps setting limits and form freedoms that are first of all age appropriate and secondly learning style appropriate. Thus helping the child in continuously developing strengths and challenges.

Of course we are a mix of different learning types.

Life has moved on and parents have had many learning opportunities. Still we have a predominant style, which translates into priorities. It is good to know who we actually are. The parents might not have the same priorities as the child. This might clash in the family. Clashes are important, not to be avoided. A child learns through small conflicts.

What is important is that the conflict is a learning

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Bibliography

Frames of the Mind – the theory of multiple

Good Googles:

Love and Logic for Early Childhood – practical

www.danielgoleman.info/topics/emotionalintelligence/

parenting from Birth to Six, by Jim Fay and Charles

www.innerexplorations.com/catpsy/t1c4.htm

From Innocence to Entitlement – Love and Logic,

intelligences, by Howard Gradner

Fay

by Jim Fay

Good books available in the schools’ Parent Library:

Oneness and Separateness – from infant to

Math for humans – teaching Math through the 8 intelligences, by Mark Wahl

The Emotional Life of the Toddler,

Personality traits, by Gerard Matthews, Ian Deary, Martha Whiteman

Our babies, ourselves – How biology and culture

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individual, by L. Kaplan

by Alicia Lieberman shape the way we parent, by Meredith F. Small

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It takes a village to raise a child Being part of an ‘extended family’ gives opportunities for children to develop. We see our school as providing much more than an academic education. We have on offer many activities for families and the wider community to be involved. During our spring period from March to June, lots of exciting events are being organised for the classrooms, parents, and the entire family. The events range from educational, social, and for pure entertainment!

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Curriculum Information Information pertaining to the classroom curriculum is available during different evening sessions and also during some of the morning Parent Café sessions. Progress Report meetings, which are specific to your child’s progress, are held three times a year (in December, March, and June). The mid-year meetings are coming up soon. Details on this meeting as well as the end of year report meetings in June are found here.

Verbal Report Meetings Wednesday Wednesday

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February

12 March

Time: from 12:30 by appointment Location: in your child’s classroom

Verbal report meetings are being held during this term on two Wednesday afternoons. Should you want to make use of this, please do not hesitate to make an appointment with your child’s teachers.

Information Evening: Introducing the World to the Child Tuesday

11 March

Time: from 19.30 Location: Children’s houses and Primary at ‘Hof Kleinenberg’ Families of all locations welcome!

Introducing the world to the child is an enormous responsibility. The world is limitless, so as educators we need to decide what to offer. The children see the world as a whole, so as teachers we need to dissect it and analyse segments. We visualise the beauty and present this to the children. They still have a sense of wonder, and we try to keep this alive as long as possible as this guides interest, urge to learn and creates respect for life as a whole.

We give opportunities to the children so that they remain global thinkers and are simultaneously given the tools to collaborate in a creative manner.

Come to the Information Evening and the teachers will ‘’open various doors’ to the hidden marvels of earth, seen from different angles and creating different perspectives.

Report Day – No school Friday

13 June

Friday June 13 Time: All day, starting at 8.00 Location: In your child’s classroom

All families please sign up on the lists that will be provided two weeks before the event. Individual time-slots are available of 20 minutes per family.

We encourage families of Toddler Community, Children’s House, and Primary to organise play dates, so you can come without your child.

As usual, Secondary Students attend the report session with their parents.

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Information Evening: Freedoms and logical limits serve the development of the child Time: 19:30 Location: Children’s Houses at International Montessori April ‘Wezembeek-Oppem’ Families of all locations welcome!

Tuesday

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Logical thinking stems from logical consequences!

We all like our children to be happy.

However, we all know that this does not stem from always getting what one wants.

Given freedoms need to be appropriate to the age in order for the child to receive experiences from which he/she can learn.

Given limits need to be logical and understandable.

It is the child that should feel the consequences.

With this in place children will realise other people have needs too and will live happily in a balance of giving and receiving.

Parent Café The Parent café is a cosy space offering information sessions during the daytime. During springtime, 3 very interesting sessions have been organised, always being from 9.30 to 11.00.

Speakers this time being Heads of School from our different International Montessori locations.

Karin Gould, a parent at the ‘Rotselaerlaan’ location, and Lisa Thauvette, Head of School in Tervuren, work together to find interesting speakers, topics, and a nice atmosphere encouraging discussion and participation.

For more information you can reach Lisa at 02-767-6360.

Friday

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Living language

Children’s House Coordinator of ‘Hof March Kleinenberg’, Charlotte Reilly Davidson, will shine a light on the language activities in the Montessori classroom and discuss how this idea of ‘living the language’ can be transferred to many home activities.

Friday

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Mathematical Mind

Want to keep abreast of what your child is learning in math and how he or she is learning it? Lidia Klimczak, Head of School of Wezembeek-Oppem, will share some of the math techniques and lingo used in class, as well as, lead a discussion how you can support numeracy and applying math operations at home.

May

Wednesday

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Montessori at home and over the summer!

June

Your child wants to be a contributing member of your household and just needs some adjustments for sizing and accessibility to make it possible. Odette Penneman, Head of School at Sterrebeek, has a myriad of ideas and practical tips on how to set up spaces in your home allowing your child to “do for himself” and consequently build his self-esteem. Come join the discussion!

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Music Events

Young children in Children’s House and Toddler Communities love to sing and perform action songs. Every day time is set-aside for this, sometimes with their own percussion instruments or with a music teacher or visiting parent accompanying them.

Every child in Primary and Middle Years Programme plays a musical instrument and learns to read notes through this instrument. We hear violin, piano and guitar every day! With our team of passionate music staff, they are preparing music concerts for the parents. For the Primary students these are designated concerts. For the MYP students, this year they will be involved in different events such as the Theatre, Asian lunch and the Graduation ceremony.

Wednesday

19 March

Singalong: Le carnival des animaux, ‘Sterrebeek’ Time: 11.00 to 12.00 Location: Sterrebeek school

19 March

Singalong: Songs from around the world, ‘Wezembeek-Oppem’

Time: 11.00 to 12.00 Location: Wezembeek-Oppem school

Parents in Wezembeek-Oppem, please note that this date has changed and is different on the calendar. The children will sing songs from different countried and in some cases in different languages.

The songs from around the world will be practiced in the classrooms and additionally children will do a variety of activities related to geography. They make the Earth out of paper-maché with pins and flags of the countries the songs come from.

Additionally they create costumes and will do some acting. Violin and piano players will join in the action!

Wednesday

The Children’s House children in Sterrebeek are listening and preparing a dance to the beautiful music of Saint-Saëns. Additionally they will be singing songs about different animals from different continents. Currently they are practicing a penguin dance since their project is on Antarctica.

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Wednesday

2

April

Singalong: Top 20 Songs, Toddler Community ‘Savoorke’, Tervuren Time: 11.00 to 12.00

Parents of the toddler group are invited to the class to sing some of the favourite songs of the class.

See the toddlers light up with the familiarity of the

23/2 February 2014

music and their eagerness to show their parents all of the special moves correlated with the words of the song.

Wednesday

30 April

Singalong - Spring Sing - Children’s House ‘Rotselaerlaan’, Tervuren Time: 11.00 to 12.00

Spring is a lovely time of year when flowers, plants, insects, and animals awaken to the warmth of the longer days. The Children’s House students and teachers will welcome spring by sharing with the parents their repertoire of music, poetry, and art.

Tuesday

6

May

Wednesday

7

May

Singalong: Singing in Sunshine - Children’s House ‘Savoorke’ Time: 11.00 – 12.00

The warmth of the sunshine on our faces after a chilly winter can bring anyone to song! So join us in singing our favourite songs of the season. It is always a very colourful and joyous event with the students and teachers adding accompaniment of different musical instruments like percussion and guitar.

Singalong: My world is your world – Children’s Houses ‘Hof Kleinenberg’ Time: 14.00 to 15.00

The three Children’s Houses will have their Singalong together. It will be journey of culture and tradition. They will roam through different countries admiring their abilities to entrance us with their music and songs.

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Theatre Events

A very interesting period of theatre is waiting for all of us! It will start with the Middle Years Programme theatre production in Tervuren Park. This theatre is made for everyone. Please come with children, parents, coats, comfortable shoes or boots and torches to this event! Your senses will be stimulated. You will be artistically surprised, your ears will love the music and you will be happy with the catering done by the Tervuren Primary section!

Theatre Production Secondary Section Dark in the Park – A Quest for light Friday

28 March

Time: Starting time of the groups is between 18.30 and 19.30.

Families of all locations very welcome!

“Light, is it (a) present or a gift? The Middle Ages have often been called the ‘dark’ ages, a gloomy time from which we seem to only remember the most negative parts. But was it really like that? Our court ladies and knights, craftsmen and peasants, clergy and troubadours, as well as thieves and spirits of the forests will show you the other side of the mirror.”

The medieval theme of the play of the Secondary section play relates to the guiding question: Is beauty (a) present or a gift? The audience is invited to walk through Tervuren Park in a quest for light, and MYP students will wait for them at different stations where they will act various scenes

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of medieval life such as court scenes, building of churches and cathedrals, and different scenes with medieval characters. The troubadours will guide your way with music. All will eventually end up at a central place for a festive grand finale, in the style of Breughel! Come and feast with us!

Logistics: The starting point of this theatrical walk is from the main Tervuren entrance by the café. There is ample parking in the first section of the forest or on the side of the road. Once parked, you pass the café and gather on the first open field on the left.

Groups of families will depart for their quest in the forest with a Diploma Programme student and will eventually, after a wonderful time, return back to the starting point. Along the way, the Rotselaerlaan, Tervuren team of teachers and children of Primary Group 2 will distribute some medieval drinks and snacks.

We would suggest for families with young children to start in the early evening. From 18.30, every 10 minutes a group will leave. Then it is not yet completely dark. Families with older children can come later and also become spectators of the ‘Grand spectacle’. This will be at the end of all tours, which will be approximately 21.00 hrs. This is when all actors and remaining participants will collect their props and walk to the central crossing in the park with the big marbles boulders. A medieval show and closure will be waiting for us there. Not to be missed!

Primary Theatre productions at ‘De Kam’.

There will be two theatre productions in the Cultural Centre ‘de Kam’, at Wezembeek-Oppem, Beekstraat 172, 1970 Wezembeek-Oppem.

This beautiful location matches very much the atmosphere that we create in the schools. Primary ‘Rotselaerlaan’ will perform on May 22 and 23 and the Primary of ‘Hof Kleinenberg’ on June 5 and 6.

Thursday

Thursday

22 May

Friday

23

5

June

May

Friday

6

June

Theatre Performances for the Children’s House children and parents The theatre productions made by the Primary groups are unique and original. The entire production is created in collaboration with classroom teachers, students and music teachers.

They write the text, practice songs, make music, create props, costumes and much more! These events are so good that we like to perform several times. Therefore all Children’s House children with their mum or dad are invited to attend the general dress rehearsals. This is a wonderful opportunity for the children to be the audience in a large theatre and to see what they will be involved with in the future. For the Primary students it is a great practice with an enthusiastic audience!

Parents are asked to pick up their child from school 20 minutes before the general rehearsal and go together to ‘De Kam’.

Thursday

Time: 14.00 to 15.00

Thursday

From 14.00 to 15.00

22

Theatre Performance of the Primary ‘Rotselaerlaan’ for the Children’s May House children of ‘Rotselaerlaan’, ‘Savoorke’, ‘Sterrebeek’ and ‘Wezembeek-Oppem’

5

June

General Dress Rehearsal Primary ‘Hof Kleinenberg’ for the Children’s House children of ‘Hof Kleinenberg’

27

Stage practice at ‘De Kam’ for the Primary sections.

Theatre Production for the Families of ‘Rotselaerlaan’, Tervuren

The initial rehearsals all take place at school—in the classrooms, garden, or music spaces. The gain experiences in choral singing, tutti rehearsals (musical instruments playing together), designing and constructing props and scenary, and sewing and assembling of costumes. All of this culminates into a week of dedicated stage work at ‘De Kam’ the Cultural Centre in Wezembeek-Oppem. All families are asked on those days, to drop their child(ren) directly at ‘De Kam’ and to pick them up again at ‘De Kam’. Children, who are normally transported by school bus, will be directly brought and picked up at that ‘De Kam’ by the school bus.

In the event of changes to the stage practice schedule, families will receive further detailed information from the Head of Schools.

Primary ‘Rotselaerlaan’

May

May

Thursday

22 May

A theatre production on a near professional stage is a perfect setting for the students and teachers to hone their skills in fooling the senses. The Primary group will construct scenery that looks as if it has dimension and weight.

May

They will design light and sound effects to suggest weather, time of day, and even to illicit moods and emotions.

The students and teachers will create one grand illusion that will demand the audience to suspend their sense of here and now and to agree to be taken to another place, time, and situation.

Primary ‘Hof Kleinenberg’

2

June

Time: 9.00 to 15.30

Time: 9.00 to 15.30

Wednesday

4

Wednesday

21

23

Time: from 19:00 Show title: Theatre of the Mind

Monday

Monday

19

Friday

June

Time: 9.00 to 12.30

Time: 9.00 to 12.30

Thursday Time: 9.00 to 15.30 This includes Showtime for the Children’s Houses

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5

June

Time: 9.00 to 15.30. This includes Showtime for the Children’s Houses

23/2 February 2014

Theatre Production for the Families of Primary ‘Hof Kleinenberg’ Friday

6

Time: from 19:00 Show title: “A less ordinary visit”

The production will be a cooperative production of the two Primary groups. The basic story line is a visit to a museum that will turn out to become an experience of culture and comedy, and dance and mystery. An unfortunate event will lead to new discoveries! You will see on stage live paintings and statues, visitors from all over the world, a glorious entry of Mona Lisa and Leonardo Da Vinci and much more. All of this wrapped in multi-lingual text, music, dance, poetry, acting, miming and even mirror writing.

June

29

Windows into the Class

Our ‘Windows into the class’ events are wonderful opportunities to get a complete picture of the amount and the kind of work the children are doing. Often we hear the comment; “Oh I wish I had learned abstract topics in such a concrete, creative manner”! Families are invited to come and see the products of their child’s class, and are also very welcome to visit other age ranges!

Each ‘Window into the class’ is different. It is also a great preparation for parents with children who will move to the next section, to see how and what children in the subsequent age ranges are working on.

English Book fairs French children’s books are easy to come by in Belgium, but English ones are a bit more difficult to find. We therefore host Treasure

International Montessori ‘Wezembeek-Oppem’

Trove Bookshop at the different school locations. They will stay from 8.30 to 16.00, giving parents time to browse. Primary and

‘Savoorke’, Tervuren

Secondary students will come with a bookbudget for their classrooms and visit the stalls with their group. The following dates are still ahead of us:

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‘Hof Kleinenberg’, Woluwe

23/2 February 2014

‘Harvesting the fruits of the seeds sown’ Primary ‘Hof Kleinenberg’ Tuesday

13

Time: 15.30 to 16:30

The evolution of the child’s development, and consequently their class work, is seen from one ‘Window into the Class’ event to the next. The products of the lessons and ideas given to the child, in other words, the seeds sown into the mind, become more evident in the final term class exhibit. Discoveries are made and children solidify the foundation, ready to proceed within their development.

Through exploration and interrogation the child is structuring their vision of their world.

May

“Harvesting the fruits of the seeds sown” Children’s Houses ‘Hof Wednesday Kleinenberg’

21 May

Time: 11.00 to 12.00

The fruit of a child’s mind is endless and this event is a perfect opportunity to see the beautiful “products” your child has created. When the child is given space, a prepared environment, appropriate activities and the chance for sensorial exploration, they have the opportunity to nourish the seeds that have been sown.

‘Outdoor activities and gardening’ Toddler Community Wednesday ‘Savoorke’

14 4 and

May

June

Time: 11.00 to 12.00

A favourite event from last year will be repeated this year with the Toddler Community class. Garden activities will be done in the outdoor learning environment with children and parents together. They will plant and beautify the outdoor environment. Come with your gardening gloves and leave with your child’s potted seed to care for at home as a memory of your participation and time together in the garden of ‘Savoorke’. We need nice weather of course, so in case of rain the events will be postponed until the following Wednesday.

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Tuesday

3

June

Children’s Houses at ‘Wezembeek-Oppem’, ‘Sterrebeek’ and ‘Savoorke’ Time: 14.00 to 15.00

Sterrebeek: “Bringing the world into the classroom” The Children’s House children in Sterrebeek are exploring the different continents. They discuss and do activities related to the differences in the continents such as housing, food, terrain, art, and animals. On display will be the children’s written work, clay animal sculptures, posters on the variety of houses, and a selection of paintings. Currently children are studying the artist Paul Klee and are learning about his style of art by imitating it in their own works. For your palate, children will prepare different snacks from around the world!

Wezembeek-Oppem: “Greater geography”

Wednesday

4

June

Window into the class ‘Rotselaerlaan’ Time: From 11.00 to 12.00 Participants: The whole school!

Natural Illusions The students in the Children’s House will focus on the cooperation of humans and nature. They will learn about the reciprocal relationship of people and plants and animals and how taking care of nature allows us to have food in our bellies, goods in our homes, and serene companionship.

Across the garden in the Primary house the students will wow and amaze the visitor by presenting their work on the senses and how the mind can be fooled—creating illusion. Not only is the topic a great gateway to all areas of the curriculum, but is a powerful experience for our Primary students who are a main target for consumer marketing… the grandest illusion being the sense of want versus actual need!

As an extension of our Singalong theme, the children will have on display their work surrounding the topic of • different countries of the world. The children receive sensorial and detailed information about different • countries by means of group lessons, cultural boxes, cultural folders, and hands-on experiences • like cooking and arts and craft.

‘Savoorke’ “From icicles to life cycles” The earth has thawed out from the winter season, bringing with it new life from its dormant state! The students will show their work on the awakening of spring in the areas of botany and zoology (life cycles), art (Giuseppe Arcimbol), music (Vivaldi), and the ongoing activities in mathematics and reading and writing.

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Excursions

Many years ago ‘Qantas’ airlines had the slogan, ‘The world is their classroom’. This could also apply to International Montessori’s philosophy!

Primary and IB MYP students combine their studies with their outings and in many cases the students are responsible for the organisation of the excursions. This enhances their broader perspective and also helps develop different skills such as communication, team-work and planning. For Children’s House children the emphasis is different. The outings are providing a glimpse into the wider world. They get excited about travelling on a big bus, eating outside and get used to visiting a new place without mum and dad. The list of excursions for Primary and Secondary might not be complete as more events are being organised according to the topics studied. Families will receive a letter home describing each upcoming outing.

CHILDREN’S HOUSES – ALL LOCATIONS This spring, the Children’s Houses will visit ‘Ferme de Bousval’. This pedagogical farm caters for groups of children and gives experiences to the senses. They can touch, smell, taste and observe.

They will be able to approach and feed different animals, pick up the eggs, ride a pony and play in the straw. There are also opportunities for making cheese, yoghourt or sorbet and take it home to share with the family.

For more information please visit www.fermedebousval.be

Logistics: The buses will leave at the scheduled time, therefore all children should be at school before 8.45.

The afternoon school pick up time is at the usual time being 15.00 or 15.15 depending on your child’s classroom.

School will provide lunch and drinks; therefore the children do not need to bring a backpack.

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Tuesday

13 May

The Children’s Houses of ‘Rotselaerlaan’ and ‘Savoorke’ are the first group to go to ‘Bousval’.

The bus will first go to Rotselaerlaan first to pick up the children there and then go to ‘Savoorke’.

Monday

26 May

Children’s House 2 and 3, together with the older children in Children’s House 1 will go together in a big bus and a school bus.

The Children’s Houses of ‘Sterrebeek’ and ‘Wezembeek-Oppem’ will go together. Families of the Sterrebeek May school, please drop off and pick up your child(ren) at the school in ‘WezembeekOppem. Departure and arrival will be from the Wezembeek-Oppem parking area for all children.

Tuesday

27

They will go in a big coach together with one of the school buses.

Monday

28

RTBF Radio and TV Station, Brussels

Participants: The whole Primary April section Transport: Chartered bus Starting in April the students of Primary will study the senses with a reverse view of, how to trick the senses! The medium of television is a master at manipulating our visual and auditory senses to give us the sensation that we have had experiences, when really we haven’t left our chair. Our visit to the RTBF station will give us a behind the scenes look at how television is technically produced and brought to into our homes.

For more information, please have a look at www.rtbf.be/entreprise/rtbf-et-vous/visiter Friday

9

May

Magritte Museum, Brussels Primary – Rotselaerlaan Transport by chartered bus

René Magritte was a Belgian surrealist artist who is best known for taking ordinary objects and putting them into unusual contexts, giving new meanings to familiar things. The new museum in Brussels, dedicated to Magritte’s body of work, will be a perfect backdrop for our Primary students to study this influential artist and appreciate his penchant for tricking the viewer’s senses and also their logic.

“This is not a newsletter!”

PRIMARY, ‘ROTSELAERLAAN’, TERVUREN

24-26 March

Oostende – Overnight excursion

http://www.musee-magritte-museum.be/

PRIMARY ‘HOF KLEINENBERG’

Auberge ‘De Ploate’ – Oostende Participants: Primary 2 –

Rotselaerlaan Mode of transport: Train

Louvre, Lens in France

13 17 and

March

The students and teachers of Primary group 2 will spend three days on the Belgian coast focusing on the traditional life and occupations of the region. In particular they will learn about the fishing industry and its historical impact on the area. They will take part in a guided tour of a retired commercial fishing vessel, witness the trade of shrimp fishing, and visit a re-creation of a fishing village from the 1400’s.

For more information, please visit: www.schoolklassen.be/schoolreizen/fr/jhboostende/ index.php

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Participants: The older children of Primary Group 2 Transport: By train

The older Primary children of Group 2 will visit the new LOUVRE in Lens in two separate groups. They will spend the day and have a guided tour including atelier time.

Primary 2 is currently studying the history of art. At the Louvre they will be presented a time line of the history of art from 3000BC to the 1800’s. This chart will give chronological and academic information and also aid the students in the theme of their end of year show which is a story within a museum.

23/2 February 2014

During the first half of the visit, the students will take part in the atelier, where the students will learn how to represent a painting in 3D named ‘A painting in a box’. This work will also link to the understanding of back stage management and stage design. In the afternoon, the children will have a guided tour with the topic ‘ behind the scenes of a museum’. This will also include art history and how we can link art with the architecture and its surroundings.

More information on this very interesting and new museum can be found on www.louvrelens.fr/en/ education.

Cartoon Museum – Brussels

29 6 and

April

May

Participants: The younger children of Primary group 2 Transport: School bus

Two groups will visit the cartoon museum, which is a link within the subject of art. Cartoon comic strips are named as the 9th art; we will discover and explore this statement. We will study the art history of Bond Dessinée. Our study of cartoon comics will also be linked to the annual theatre production taking into consideration the separation of each individual scenes as seen in both cartoon and theatre.

For more information please visit www.comicscenter.net/en/home

INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE SECONDARY SECTION Friday

14

Abbaye and Hôpital Notre Dame à la Rose de Villers-la-Ville

Participants: MYP years 1 and 2 go to the Hôpital Notre Dame à la Rose and years 3,4 and 5 go to the Abbey.

Transport: Chartered bus March

In the light of the guiding theme and theatre preparation, MYP years 1 and 2 go to the Hôpital

Notre Dame à la Rose and years 3,4 and 5 go to the Abbey. At the hospital a guided tour will tell about medicine and practices in hospitals in medieval times. At the abbey, the students will get to know more about the life of monks and priests in medieval times, as well as the design and actual building of cathedrals. They will receive an architecture workshop.

For more information please visit: www.villers.be

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Thursday

3

Michaël Borremans Exhibition ‘As sweet as it Gets’

Bozar, Ravensteinstraat 23, 1000 April Brussels Participants: MYP year 5 and DP 6 By public transport The students will visit an overview exhibition of a major Belgian painter who made his breakthrough in the late 1990s with drawings, paintings and films that expose the absurdity of existence in a suggestive, ironic way. The exhibition contains a hundred seductive and subversive works produced over the last 14 years.

2 4 to

June

Middle Ages in Eindhoven, Netherlands MYP years 1 and 2 Chartered Bus

The MYP 1 and 2 students will travel to a living museum where they will experience medieval life for three days. They will sleep, cook, eat and do activities that mirror the activities of the time. They will make rope and coins, chop the wood and cook on a firepit. All with specialist guides available. We will wear medieval attire which is hand made by the students. A unique experience! www.eindhovenmuseum.nl

For more information please visit www.bozar.be/ activity.php?id=13204&lng=en

Bayeux, Normandy, France

26 28 to

May

Participants: MYP years 3,4 and 5 By train

The ‘end-of-year’ trip for MYP students in years 3,4,5 will be in May. They will visit the medieval town Bayeux, famous for its cathedral, old city centre and the famous tapestry that tells the story of William the Conqueror in 1044. The students will also discover more recent history at the site of Arromanches which they will explore by bike. At the Memorial of Caen they will take a guided tour on World War History. The group will stay at the Hotel of Reine Mathilde in Bayeux.

For more information please visit www.tapisseriebayeux.fr and www.memorial-caen.fr

School photographer The school photographer will come early May, so we all hope for great weather and colourful outdoor photos! The photographers will make groups photos per classroom, the staff and the whole school population. Additionally they make individual and sibling photos.

Location: ‘Sterrebeek’ and ‘Wezembeek-Oppem’ Time: 9.00 to 12.00 Location: ‘Rotselaerlaan’ and ‘Savoorke’ Time: 9.00 to 12.00 Location: ‘Hof Kleinenberg’, Woluwe Time: 9.00 to 15.00

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Holiday Camps

7 11 to

April

23 27 to

June

30 4 to

June

July

Easter Camp

Location: ‘Hof Kleinenberg’, Sint-StevensWoluwe Participants: Children from all Montessori locations between the ages of 2 1/2 to 11 can sign up.

Five days from 9.00 to 16.00 hrs. Extended hours till 17.00 are available upon request.

Topic of the Easter Camp: Space – ‘Facts and mysteries’ The students will do a large variety of activities and explore the solar system, its planets, black holes, rockets and comets. They will dive into the history and mystery of space!

Summer Camps: International Montessori also offers two exciting weeks of holiday camps in the summer of 2014! The dates and topics being: First week: Monday June 23 to Friday June 27 at ‘Hof Kleinenberg’: We hope for great summer weather and want to explore the topic ‘Underwater’.

Exploring the large variety of life in the sea, such as plants, fish and shells found on the beach. Mysteries and ship wrecks will also be found on maps and in books and related artwork will surprise the parents!

Second week: Monday June 30 to Friday 4 July at ‘Rotselaerlaan’, Tervuren The second week will take the children on a trip along the mountain range of the Andes. They will learn about its people and their culture, animals, climate, nature and music. Children will make rain sticks and play the pan flute! They will cook the food and listen to the music.

Logistics: Children between the ages of 2 ½ to 11 can sign up. The normal camp hours are up to 16.00 hrs. however, additional After Camp Hours up to 17.00 hrs. can be booked.

The holiday camp coordinator is Laurence Rambour, who normally teaches in the Primary 2 Group at ‘Hof Kleinenberg’. She runs the camp with other Montessori teachers from our schools, sometimes with help from adolescents who in most cases are our graduates of our school or older MYP/DP students. This creative team provides the different ideas and activities.

The cost is €240 per child per week and is payable upon registration. With extended hours the cost is €265.

Please note that we organise the number of camp guides according to the number of children enrolled and therefore the fee is not refundable.

Registrations are accepted in order of enrolment.

The fee includes all materials, snacks and (cold or hot) lunch.

Sign-up sheets are available on our website and will be distributed to all families.

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Secondary Section – MYP & DP Additional Events In addition to what has been described under the header Theatre Events and Excursions, MYP and DP have a few more happenings. One of them is the City Run to which parents are invited as well!

24 28 to

Special Week for MYP and DP

March

The MYP and DP have several ‘Special Weeks’ a year, during which special projects are done and the normal lesson schedule is not applicable.

Diploma Programme Study week: Math and biology, arts and theory of knowledge (TOK) Middle Years Programme study week: Theatre, music and languages This Special Week is the preparation week of the play at both school and in the Tervuren Park.

For MYP this is all theatre. For the DP this is a Community, Action and Services (CAS) event. For students taking theatre as a graduating subject, they join in with the theatre activities.

The students will rehearse the various scenes and dances and will soon take on their characters from the Middle Ages in their Quest for Light.

As the theatre production is primarily an MYP event, the Diploma Programme students will receive extra sessions in biology, mathematics, TOK and of course theatre.

Théâtre ‘Made in China’ by Thierry Debroux Tuesday

29 April

Location: Theatre Royale du Parc Time: 19.00 at the theatre Participants: MYP Years 3,4,5 and Diploma Programme French A and

theatre class Transport: Private means This comedy is an introduction to international business! It explores the business world in a global view; the Chinese buy a company and its international employees have to adapt to a new working style.

More information can be found on www.theatreduparc.be/spectacle/ spectacle_2013_2014_005

City RUN in Woluwe St. Lambert – Stade Fallon

Time: from 9.00 Participants: All Secondary students Families, supporters and more May runners are welcome!

Transport: Private means Sunday

11

This is one of the sporting events and simultaneously fund raising activity for the MYP. Students will ask families to sponsor them! The City Run starts and finishes at Stade Communal Fallon, Chemin de Struykbeken 1, 1200 Sint-LambrechtsWoluwe. Participants can chose to run 1, 6 or 15 km. The gathering point is at the far (quiet) end of the athletics track.

For more information please read www.netevents. be/nl/agenda/14565/Stade-Communal-Fallon-deWoluwe-Saint-Lambert/ or contact sports teachers Brian or Nicole at 02-721-2111.

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23/2 February 2014

26 6

Mock Exams

to

Whilst MYP year 1, 2 and 3 are on their trip to Bayeux, Normandy, France the DP students will May June have three days of mock exams. Diploma Programme students are doing mock exams throughout the two year Programme, so that they can assess at what level they are within a certain subject. In this three-day period, the full exam setting will be practiced, so that they can gain confidence and assess their strengths and opportunities.

Vernissage Art Exhibition Secondary section Thursday

12 June

Time: from 16.00 to 17.00 Participants: MYP 5 and DP Visual Arts All families are welcome!

The IB Visual Arts course stresses practice in the use of various media, the acquisition of techniques, the mature development of creative ideas and the ability to relate to all form of art in their many social, cultural and historical contexts.

This first year, the course is teacher-directed. Students follow assignments and instructions designed to encourage them to work in their books and develop ideas for their studio work. During the second and last year, the course will evolve into more studentinitiated and student-guided study. The DP 6 Visual art students will exhibit their artwork of their first year. They have made their own selection and took care of its presentation. Additionally they will present an exercise that is ready for their final exhibition in 2015. This is very exciting! Students will be present to give a brief presentation of their work. Simultaneously the artwork of MYP Year 5 will be presented as well.

The art exhibition will also be available for viewing during Report Day on Friday June 13 and the end-of-year Farm Day event, which is on Saturday June 14!

Holidays Monday March 3 to 7 Monday to Friday

37 to

March

Spring holiday Monday

10 March

School Re-opens Friday

4

April Staff In-service day – N0 school

7 21 to

April

Easter Holiday

Monday

21 April

Easter Monday, public holiday

Tuesday

22 April

School Re-opens Thursday

1

May Public Holiday - ‘Labour Day’ Thursday to Friday

29 30 to

May

Ascension Long Weekend Monday

9

June Whit Monday – Public holiday

39

International Montessori Schools International Baccalaureate MYP and DP section Children aged 0 to 19 years old Experiencing unique learning environments!

Attractive buildings High ratio teacher-student Multilingual and multicultural Individualised learning styles and approach

Vast and interesting Performing Arts – Unique curriculum productions Logical and critical Musical instruments for thinkers all students

Open Day Friday April 25: Scheduled Tours Saturday April 26: From 10.00 to 17.00 hrs.

Tervuren – Sterrebeek – Wezembeek – Woluwe

www.international-montessori.org 02-767 63 60 / 02-721 21 11 40

23/2 February 2014