3 | Dec ember 2024
UPCOMING E VE N T S
December and January
Here are some of the highlights for the next two months a t Pines.
December 2024
13th Play in the Park- We will ONLY have Bake Sales prior to dismissal until the backyard is returned to us. Although there is plenty of room for recess by community level there is just not enough room for the entire school plus parents to play.
19th Winter Cultural FestivalOur annual festival is the culmination of many weeks’ worth of preparation and study by all children. Children are issued passports, and all family and friends are invited for an amazing afternoon. 3:00-5:00 pm
19th and 20th Noon DismissalThe entire campus closes at 12:00 pm. No PM Extended Care provided.
December 23rd January 6th- Winter Holiday- School Closed
January 2025
7th First day of Spring Semester- Morning and Afternoon Extended Care is available.
10th-22nd - Pines is hosting 16 Montessori teachers and administrators from various cities in Poland. This is the second time a group has come to Pines to observe our school, other Montessori Schools and experience all things Texas! We will need helping hands. More info to follow.
17th Play in the Park- Bake Sale will continue!
20th School CLOSED
28th-30th Rising Meetings These meetings are for Primary children rising to their last year in Primary, Primary children rising to Lower El, Lower Elementary students rising to Upper El and Upper Elementary students rising to Middle School. Dates and times for each level will be sent in early January.
CONNECTION S
Thank you to the 103 Parents, Grandparents, Teachers, Trustees and older students who shared your Pines stories. There were 63 classroom observa�ons over their 3 ½ days with us.
We are super excited to share with you all that Pines Montessori School has completed our re-accredita�on visit and the IMC Council has voted to re- accredit Pines for another 5 years!
This is a learning process for us so they le� us with 7 opportuni�es to grow deeper in our prac�ce and le� us with 11 Commenda�ons!!!!!
Countries!
FALL PARADE
FALL PARADE
FALL PARADE
FALL PARADE
TEACHER EXPERIENCES
Wine & Art
TEACHER EXPERIENCES
CONSTRUCTION
Click the image to take you to our new Construc�on Update page on our website.
Click the image to take you to our new Pines Pathways page on our website.
There is also be messages and banners placed in the APP to share updates that might impact carline and such.
CONSTRUCTION
How we will con�nue to communicate.
We installed a message board for our Neighbors on Cedar Knolls.
TEACHING AT PINES
Ms. Hope had 10 questions to choose from. Here are the 5 she picked. Thank you!
Describe your teaching background / How long have you been in education?
I have an Associates in Psychology, Bachelors in Education, and a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction. I am also certified in Montessori Early Childhood Education as well as in Lower and Upper Elementary. I have 30 years of teaching experience. I have taught in a Christian School Pre-K 4 program, have worked in Mother’s Day out programs, also headed up the Early Childhood Ministries at a church. The last 21 years I have worked in Montessori settings. I have worked at North Harris College Child Development Laboratory School, and here at Pines Montessori.
This is my Sweet Sixteenth year here at Pines. I started out in the Extended Care Toddlers program with Ms. Adriana, was trained in Primary under the care of Ms. Jessica, and finally found myself home in Lower Elementary.
Why do you teach in Montessori? How do you find it different from a traditional teaching environment?
As my six children were all brought up in traditional school, I did not know about Montessori at all until I went to work at the Lab School in a 3-6 year old classroom. I remember I had to sit and watch for 8 hours through the observation glass and actually I was overwhelmed at first. I saw the children moving around, all busy doing their own thing. The teachers were so quiet, and not stopping this movement. I only knew that traditional school was you listen to the teacher, sit in your seat, do your work, and grades were given every 9 weeks. I was not sure if I could work in this busy environment. I spent many hours observing and learning about Montessori at the Lab School, so much l that I fell in love with Montessori and understood this is how a child really should be moving. I was also so impressed with how Montessori teaches to the whole child; socially, emotionally, physically, and academically. The more I learned to guide the children, the more I knew Montessori was where I wanted to be and I tried to learn and soak in as much education as I could, so I could understand every part of the child.
What do you find the most rewarding working with elementary students?
In Lower Elementary the most rewarding part is seeing the growth of the children over the three-year cycle. The Lower Elementary child pushes themselves to learn more, do more, and be more. I am there only to guide them and then send them on their way. It is very rewarding also when you present a lesson, and later you see them repeating things they learned, asking questions, and researching different concepts from the lessons given. Also it is rewarding to see them care for each other, care for the environment, as well as caring about their inner self.
TEACHING AT PINES
What are some (3-5) things you can see develop in elementary school (that is not as prominent in the primary age group)?
● In Primary, children are learning vocabulary. In Elementary they are starting to use the vocabulary to express their thoughts, and feelings about everything. Even to acknowledge others doing acts of kindness in the classroom. Also they are in the age of fairness, so if they thing that things are not fair, they will let you know.
● In Primary, children are learning to read, while in Elementary they are reading to learn. When you walk into the Elementary classroom, you will always find someone either reading a book for fun, or reading a book to research subjects they want to learn more about.
● In Primary you will see most of the learning is done with the hands, working with small materials to learn concepts. Even though concrete materials are still used in Elementary to practice concepts in math, language, geometry, time, money, Spanish, etc, the Elementary child will start having an abstract mind, and doing work without using materials.
What would be some best practices for parents to follow at home?
Just to stop and be 100 percent present to your child. The Elementary child wants to be heard and their thoughts and ideas are very important to them. Also to give them opportunities at home to contribute to the family. Setting the dinner table, taking care of pets, helping to create family schedules etc. Elementary students want to be involved and will live up to the challenge if it is given to them.
MIDDLE SCHOOL MARKET
19 DECEMBER, 2024
handmade items by middle school
CROCHET ITEMS CANDLES JEWELRY
STARTS AT THREE PM DURING WINTER CULTURAL FESTIVAL (COME WHILE ITEMS LAST)
KITCHEN CONNECTIONS
Immune Boosting Pines C ookies
Now more than ever we need to make sure we get all our vitamins in, to keep our immune system strong. Who would have thought that you could do it with a breakfast cookie? ����
Ingredients:
• 1 flax “egg” (1 Tbsp ground flaxseed + 2 ½ Tbsp water)
• 2 ¼ cups rolled oats
• ¾ cup oat flour (or whole wheat flour)
• ¼ cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 ripe banana, mashed
• 2 heaping Tbsp almond butter *Optional.
• 1 Tbsp honey
• ½ cup milk
• 1 splash vanilla
• 1/2 – 3/4 cup frozen wild blueberries
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a small bowl combine flax and water. Set aside.
3. Combine all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
4. Combine banana, almond butter, honey, milk, and vanilla in a small bowl.
5. Add flax egg and wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Mix until combined.
6. Add frozen blueberries. Gently mix until evenly distributed.
7. Place dough on greased cookie sheet in tablespoon sized scoops, flatten slightly.
8. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Let cool. Drizzle with extra almond butter.
*Makes about 20 cookies. Keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
ALUM NI FOCUS
When did you graduate from Pines Middle School?
I graduated from Pines Montessori in 2018; I spent my early education at Pines from Pre-K to kindergarten and then from 3rd to 8th grade, graduating after my 8th-grade year.
Where are you now?
I am currently a 3rd year student at Southwestern University in Georgetown, TX, studying business.
These five questions were asked of Liam Stonestreet
In what way do you believe that Pines Montessori School prepared you for life?
Pines has influenced my life in many ways. It gave me a foundation of self-thinking while giving me a good academic education. The foundation that Pines teaches has influenced many of the decisions in my life, such as my academic values and my personal bellies. Without Pines and what it taught, I would not have chosen the university that I am at today.
What are your fondest memories of Pines?
One thing I liked about Pines was how free you could be in the classroom. You were allowed to walk around and choose what work you wanted to do that day. In other words, you didn’t have to sit at the same table every day and could also work at your own pace. I don’t think I have a specific memory of Pines, but I do remember seeing my best friends at school and interacting and collaborating on schoolwork with them. I will never forget those memories.
Anything else you would like to share?
Again, I am very excited to see the new edition. Thank you for considering me for this in the magazine.
FUN FACT: For Liam’s Eagle Scout project he built a pathway to the Toddler Playground.
Thank you Liam!
FAMILY FOCUS
The Yates family had 10 questions to choose from. Here are the 5 they picked. Thank you!
YATES FAMILY
How were you introduced to Montessori and why did you feel that it was the best fit for you and your family?
My husband and I were introduced to Montessori learning through my mother and other friends who were educators. I had toured another Montessori school in Sugar Land before we decided to settle in Humble-Kingwood and was impressed with the materials and the way in which learning was introduced to the children. When my husband and I toured Pines we fell in love and were strongly drawn to the concept of a child learning on their terms and gaining knowledge rather than being confined to learning for a test and or to being siloed into a certain learning style.
If you could choose a word to describe Pines, what would it be? And why?
One word to describe Pines would be "dynamic". I feel as though Pines truly immerses the child into the Montessori world. The teachers are vested and strive to provide optimal learning in a truly safe environment. The education provided is superb and it shows through the children's learning. Through other entities wanting to learn the "Pines way" and the ever-evolving approaches through technology and the additions to the campus. Pines is dynamic!
How do you as a parent support Montessori at home?
As parents we are constantly looking for creative and innovative ways to encourage ongoing learning in our home. We have open conversations with our children's teachers and have purchased Montessori based manipulatives such as movable alphabet, counting beads, golden beads, maps, traceable alphabets, Mac and Tab books and so much more. We also allow the children to participate in chores such as making their beds, taking out the trash, cutting fruits and vegetables. Most importantly we adapt to each of children's learning styles and strive to have open dialogue with them about their learning and emotions.
Are there any specific Montessori activities or materials your child particularly enjoys?
Both Harper and Phillip enjoy Kitchen Connections and Earth Connections. It allows them to freely gain additional independence outside of the classroom setting as well as learn about various animals and creatures in nature with hands-on experience. They both enjoy trying new and different foods and expressing their reactions to them. :)
Which is your family Pines event and why?
Our family's favorite Pines event is Winter Cultural Fest. We love how excited the children get about learning about their classroom's designated country. The children come home telling us so much about what facts they have learned. We also enjoy helping them with the costumes and research aspects of it. WE also really enjoy cooking dishes from other cultures and especially getting the opportunity to try each cuisine.