CONNECTIONS
Casa dei Pines
UPCOMING E VE N T S
March and April
Here are some of the highlights for the next two months a t Pines.
March
10th -14th Spring Break- School CLOSED
21st Play in the Park- Bake Sale will continue!
April
11th Play in the Park- Bake Sale will continue! 18th School CLOSED
21st School CLOSED- Professional Development Day
25th EcoFair 3:00- 4:15 pm
Beginning at EcoFair, up until the day before The EVENT, will be our Children’s Drawing.
A vibrant table filled with items for all ages.
$1.00 tickets are sold during school hours and children place them in the container of their favorite items in hopes of winning!
All funds roll into The EVENT that takes place the following Saturday, May 3rd!
CONNECTION S
So this is what we need to restore…
ALL proceeds from The EVENT will go towards returning our backyard to the open green space that we all enjoy.
Pines Pathways one way to support and The EVENT is another.
Please help us get started so we can have both a beau�ful building and a beau�ful backyard at the same �me.
CONSTRUCTION
We have been making great progress!
Work on the foundation is moving along and the building structural steel has been delivered!
Up next is the grade beam concrete pour and work on the slab.
Our new Elementary building will go vertical very soon!
Our Toddlers REALLY enjoyed watching the trucks roll in!
KITCHEN CONNECTIONS
Ingredients
Oat crumble topping:
• ⅔ cup flour
• ⅔ cup oats
• ¾ cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup butter (cold)
Triple Berry filling:
• 3 cups fresh mixed berries (mashed)
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
Instructions
• Pre-heat oven to 375F and brush butter on the bottom of a 9’’x13" casserole dish (glass or ceramic baking dish).
• Mix the flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon and salt in a glass bowl and whisk to ensure there are no lumps. Use your fingers to pinch the cold butter and mix it into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles large bread crumbs
• Add the berries, cornstarch, lemon juice, chia seeds and salt in the casserole dish and mix until combined.
• Top the berries with the crumble mix, spreading evenly.
• Bake for 40-45 minutes until the crumble topping is golden and crispy
• Serve warm and top with cold whipped cream!
PREPARED BY PINES
Middle School Internship: Choices to Make
By Catherine Hall, Middle School Teacher 16 years at Pines.
Life is about choices and decisions. These words are almost interchangeable. Choices become decisions. Montessori programs encourage students to make and work with their choices. Some might ask how is this shown through a student’s educational process. In early childhood, students select their work from shelves which have been arranged in a predesigned order: left to right, top to bottom. The shelves are preset with work from least challenging to most challenging. Students receive lessons then choose the follow up work to practice and master the concepts introduced in the lessons. A student may choose a work that is not being used, meaning they have to learn how to wait and make another choice. At home a parent might see choices as a student picking out their daily clothes. Sometimes one might grimace at the outfit your young child assembled, but learning how to make choices is a first step to independence.
Learning how to make choices and work within the boundaries of an environment, whether school or work, are life skills. As students grow, the environments might become larger and work becomes more complex; however, the theme of choices is ever present. Let us acknowledge that making choices is hard - a learned skill. Our environments, by design, encourage this.
In Middle School, these skills are in daily use from choosing the order one completes their work, in group work choosing the topic they will study to teach to other students, and/or choosing how much to prepare for a test. These skills are especially important when selecting their internship site. The weeklong internships introduce students to the independent working world. In preparation for these weeks, students make job resumes, role play job interviews and discuss appropriate work wear and behavior.
All 7th year students intern as a teaching assistant in our classrooms: ToddlersLower Elementary. This is eye opening for all the students. First, student interns work the staff hours (7:30-3:30). Students then develop a greater understanding of how the classrooms work. Also, over the years many students develop a greater understanding of the challenges when working with children. They often report, “It’s really hard work”, or “I was very tired after working all day.” Internships provide a sense of independence for the middle school students by showing that they can accomplish tasks, even if they were hesitant at first.
PREPARED BY PINES
All 8th year students search and choose an externship location. Students are encouraged to select a business or non-profit that they are interested in studying more, or even making a career. With an introductory packet in hand, students call or email local businesses to discuss the possibility of working with said business. If it is necessary, we will speak with the business to explain the purpose and aim of the externship program. As employees, students have to work different hours and follow the rules of the business which are different from their classroom environments. Pines’ students have worked at many different businesses in the Houston metro area from dog groomers, law offices, software development companies, IT departments, bakeries, insurance companies, wealth management companies, Lake Houston Wilderness Park, and more.
During internship/externship week, the Middle School faculty visit the externship locations. Year after year, the business feedback forms praise the student interns, acknowledging their work ethic and independence. The businesses admire this program which allows adolescents to experience the work force. These internship/externship weeks’ foster independence showing students that they are ready for life challenges beyond middle school.
TEACHER EXPERIENCES
TEACHER EXPERIENCES
TEACHER EXPERIENCES
TEACHER EXPERIENCES
CASA DEI PINES
Casa dei Pines means
The House of Pines
Each year, we pull outside and share with you some of our most important work.
Our hands become stronger through opening and closing works, sewing , and polishing.
Our bodies more open through Yoga.
Our minds more aware through research about how everyday items work… the light bulb, soap making, the inven�on of the dishwashers, and the beauty of mechanical pencils.
Our house teaches us many things.
CASA DEI PINES
ALUM NI FOCUS
The capstone of our Glass Classroom Saturday was a visit from two Middle School graduates, Fiona Robinson and Shawn Normand.
Both sophomores now, currently atending iSchoolHigh in Atascocita, Fiona and Shawn joined Pines as toddlers.
One of their favorite memories was the Montessori Model United Na�ons trip to New York, which this year’s students have just returned from!
FAMILY FOCUS
The Scherr family had 10 questions to choose from. Here are the 5 they picked. Thank you!
SCHERR FAMILY
How were you introduced to Montessori and why did you feel that it was the best fit for you and your family?
Our friends have a child who attended Pines and that spurred us to look at the school. The infants’ room is really what sold us. All our previous experiences with childcare involved infants trying to sleep in fluorescent light, and noise as other children played - which makes no sense. Pines has the half wall with floor beds and only natural light which is conducive for sleeping children. We thought that if the people running Pines "get it" on infants then that will probably translate into all ages of a child's development (we haven't been disappointed yet).
How long have you been at Pines and what is your favorite memory about Pines?
We have been at Pines for 3 years. One of our favorite moments occurs every few weeks during pickup. We have 3 children that attend Pines and invariably one of them will express dissatisfaction with being picked up "too early" from extended care. It is a wonderful feeling knowing that our children are in an environment that they enjoy.
How do you feel Montessori education has benefited your child?
Montessori education empowers children with guided independence which instills self-confidence. We see our children approach challenging situations and attempt to work through problems with unique solutions. We feel that these traits are particularly difficult to nurture in a world that has the "right" answer just a click away.
How do you as a parent support Montessori at home?
Supporting Montessori at home required us to configure our house to be conducive to a child. Children plates, utensils, and cups are stored in a lower cupboard, toys are stored in bins on low shifts and beds are low to the ground. We eat a couple meals a week at our 2-foot-tall kids table which requires the adults to sit on stools and the kids sit in their chairs. The biggest challenge is creating an environment where we are not in a rush to accomplish a task. We noticed that it is easy to trade off the efficiency of an adult for the development of a child. We also try to avoid too many activities in the schedule and give enough time for our children to accomplish tasks without our help. This is tricky when we are trying to make it to school on time!
Which is your favorite family Pines event and why?
It’s hard to choose! Winter Cultural is a fantastic event and we love getting the view into all the work that the kids put into their country throughout the year. Our kids have been so excited to show us their work environment and new knowledge, whereas at home, we get limited information. The food is delicious and mixing with other families really completes the experience. We also love the Fall Parade because the kids are at their cutest.