CONNECTIONS
4 | January 2025 Winter Cultural Festival !
UPCOMING E VE N T S
January and February
Here are some of the highlights for the next two months a t Pines.
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! We learned a few things in December. In order for Upper El to meet the demand for their Pines-made treats we can only sell 2 per student. Please send one or two dollars if you wish to support the Bake sale.
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. For families that it applies to please RSVP in the App.
February
7th Continued Enrollment Concludes
8th Glass Classroom- From Infants through Middle School you will be immersed in the wonder and the why of Montessori. RSVP Required
Childcare is provided and spaces are limited. You don’t want to miss this!
14th Play in the Park- Bake Sale will continue!
17th School CLOSED
28th Casa dei Pines After school until 4:30 pm. Walk around and see how independent the children are! You might call it “Adulting”… We find it meaningful work.
CONSTRUCTION
Not a lot to see but a lot of work was completed over the break!
The final grading on the pad for the new building is complete!
Our General Contractor has released the concrete contractor, and as soon as we know when, they will begin to release the plumbers and the electricians
The anchor bolts, rebar and pipes have arrived! They will begin the elevator pit and drill for the piers in the next week or so and plumbing will begin as well!
Thank you to our EARLY Supporters of our
The Alexander family, the Blair family, the Bushman family, the Calderon family, the DeLorenzo family, the Hussain family, the MacNeil family, the Scherr family, the Shadian family, Sobelman family and the White family.
Special thank you to Mark Linabury and the East Montgomery Chamber of Commerce for your support!
WINTER CULTURAL FESTIVAL
WINTER CULTURAL FESTIVAL
WINTER CULTURAL FESTIVAL
WINTER CULTURAL FESTIVAL
CONNECTION S
Kitchen and Earth
Connec�ons CONTINUE amid the Construc�on
Ms. Humaira con�nues to find ways to teach about and guide children to appreciate nature around the campus.
Under the trained hands of Chef Liz, we are incorpora�ng cooking and prep work inside the classrooms.
For the first �me ever ALL the Upper Elementary bake sale items are made on campus!
CONNECTION S
Happy New Year!
If you didn’t get a chance to view our New Year Gree�ng. We made it to Tanzania and Romania last month!
KITCHEN CONNECTIONS
Pines Noodle Soup
Ingredients:
• 2 Tbsp oil
• 1 celery rib (cut in cubes)
• 1 medium carrot (diced in cubes)
• 1 small potato (diced in cubes)
• 2 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1 Tbsp yellow onion (chopped)
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1/3 cup of your favorite noodles
• 4 cups of vegetable broth
• Pines Spices
• Chicken (optional)
Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add onion. Cook for about 2 minutes.
3. Add garlic. Cook until golden.
4. Add the rest of the vegetables.
5. Season with salt. Cook for about 2 minutes.
6. Add broth and bring to a boil over high heat.
7. Add spices from the tube and stir in.
8. Season with pepper and salt (to taste).
This soup tastes even more delicious if your children help you with all the vegetable cutting and mincing
9. Once the soup comes to a boil, add the noodles and cook until pasta is just tender (about 8 minutes).
PREPARED BY PINES
THE IMPORTANCE OF INDEPENDENCE
By Joell Shearer
15
years Primary Montessori Teacher
As a Montessori Teacher for three-to-six year-old children, the number one question I am asked by parents is: “What can I work on with my child at home?” The answer I give is the same no matter what the age of the child in this environment: Give your child independence. Learning to do things for themselves not only strengthens their confidence, but encourages responsibility and self-motivation. The value of contributing to the development of a young child’s independence cannot be overstated.
Maria Montessori believed that trusting the “inner teacher” should be the first principle of education. She observed that all children have an inner sense of urgency to become independent, and each child has an inner teacher or guide that lives inside them, lending to development in a natural way. They want to learn about their bodies and minds, social skills, problem solving, practical life tasks, numbers, words, and understand the world around them.
In a Montessori classroom, independence of the child is a priority. The teacher acts only as a guide and lets the child’s inner teacher teach them. For example, snack is a self- serve, independent activity. The snack table is prepared by the teacher and the children, with bowls, utensils and some sort of indication of what quantity of food should be taken. The child does not need to ask “permission” or “directions,” they simply serve themselves when snack is available. When a child asks me if they can have snack, instead of giving them a definitive answer, I respond “I don’t know, can you?” and then I help them problem solve until they come up with an answer on their own.
I think, as a parent, we all want the best for our children and often struggle with how to specifically help them become successful individuals. We need to realize that children accomplish a great deal from ages three-to-six and the best thing we can do is to acknowledge, help, and trust their inner guide by giving them the independence to do things on their own. The home is a good place to start. This is where daily life happens, so it is the perfect place for your child to practice and participate. I believe that once a child feels confident and comfortable in his or her environment, the child will blossom in all areas of the classroom.
TEACHER EXPERIENCES
TEACHER EXPERIENCES
TEACHER EXPERIENCES
Study Find
TEACHER EXPERIENCES
Label & Paint
TEACHING AT PINES
Ms. Amber had 10 questions to choose from. Here are the 5 she picked. Thank you!
Why/How did you choose the education path?
I think I have always known that I wanted to be a teacher, but I really tried to push myself away from it for one reason or another. However, in all honesty, teaching in Lower Elementary really does give me a reason to want to go to work every day. I found my purpose
What brought you back to Pines?
I worked at Pines from 2012-2014 in Primary Extended Care and helped Ms. Adriana when the infant classroom first opened. I loved it, but I was younger and left to pursue other opportunities. After some major life events and a lot of soul searching, I decided I wanted to go back to school and get my Bachelor's Degree. I realized that I also missed working with children, and that I missed the community and culture at Pines, specifically. I got in contact with Ms. Patty and was hired back the summer after Covid hit, July 2020. After about a year back at Pines, I was offered a position in Lower Elementary and I accepted not really knowing what I was getting into. Turns out, it’s one of the best decisions I have ever made.
What are some highlights from the Montessori education program?
Getting my Montessori certification through the CGMS has been a long process and a lot of work, but I have received so much wonderful information and guidance. I have been immersed in the Montessori philosophy and am able to bring new insights and lessons to my Lower Elementary team. We have been working really hard to blend our styles of training together to be able to create an even richer curriculum, and it has been awesome to be able to share my journey with them.
What do you find most rewarding in your job?
I think the most rewarding parts of my job are being able to see all the "a-ha" moments and the “light bulbs” going off, as well as knowing that I am doing my part to ensure they become the best humans they can be.
What would be some of the best practices for parents to follow at home?
I would say to definitely let your children help do more and try more around the house. They are capable of so much, and if you are willing to give the time and have the patience, they will show you
ALUM NI FOCUS
When did you graduate from Pines Middle School?
I graduated Spring of 2014
These five questions were asked of Sheillagh O’Brien
Where are you now?
I am working in the reservations department at The Inn at Little Washington! I have been here almost a year and I can definitely see a bright future here.
How has Pines influenced your life?
Pines taught me a lot about making learning fun and accessible; creating presentations of our lessons to teach each other highlighted all of the best parts of peer learning. And some of the most silly presentations I made are the ones I remember best ("Exploring the polar regiooooooons-It's cold up there!" and "in 1962 John Glen orbited the earth so blue" come to mind)
What are some things you like about Pines?
I feel like saying "everything" is both a cop-out and influenced by nostalgia but looking back on my time there I can't find anything negative to say. There was a strong sense of community, I met my best friend there, and it was a safe place to learn and grow
Share a treasured Pines memory.
Burning the best teen bop playlists onto CDs to bring to class, long games of hangman with ever-longer phrases and ever more intricate hanged stick figures, and wacky charades. The inside jokes and references were crazy
One more thing… Sheillagh is a 2023 graduate of the CIA and The Inn is a 3 star Michelin restaurant.
Way to go Sheillag!
FAMILY FOCUS
OWENS FAMILY
What made you choose Pines versus other Montessori schools?
Our favorite initial thingaboutPineswerethe beautiful grounds and large playground – we loved how much outdoor space the children have to interact with every day. On a deeper level, we were impressed with the tenure and experience of many of the teachers as well as the connections classes with Ms. Humaira and Chef Liz.
How long have you been at Pines and what is your favorite memory about Pines?
This is our 3rd year at Pines; a favorite memory is coming to our first Fall Parade – we weren’t sure what to expect but loved getting to see all the kids in their costumes. It’s such a fun morning!
How do you feel Montessori education has benefited your child?
The Owens family had 10 questions to choose from. Here are the 5 they picked. Thank you!
It’s truly incrediblehow much independenceandself-sufficiencyourkidshavelearnedfrom beingin a Montessori school. Sometimes they aren’t as willing to do the same things independently at home (I’m sure other families can relate!), but I’m always so excited to hear about the work they’re doing at parent-teacher conferences or on come-see-me-work days. Even being 3 years in I’m still surprised by how much they are capable of!
How does your child describe their day at school?
For Archer we usually learn the most about his day through the stains on his clothes. We can always tell when he’s been playing hard on the playgroundorgot to paint/ color duringtheday Beckham will tell us what work hedid during the day – language or math, challenging work or “free” work, and he also gets really excited when he’s completed work for the week and got to put something in his take-home folder. We also always hear about if someone had a birthday or brought something new/fun to class.
Are there any specific Montessori activities or materials your child particularly enjoys?
Archer loves puzzles and animal matching cards. Beckham loves punching work and working on writing his letters (usually through tracing sheets).