New School Year, New Beginnings

With the new school year starting and our newest and youngest students joining our school, we are establishing the ground rules and routines and we are focusing on grace and courtesy lessons, which are the foundations of a “normalized” classroom.

In the “normalized” classroom, the children are moving across space gracefully, they are choosing works and engaging with them with concentration and joy that is empowered by their inner drive to learn.

The teachers treat the children with respect and kindness, and as a result, the children treat their teachers and one another in the same way. All this is modelled by the teachers and presented as lessons. There are lessons on how to ask a friend if one might join them, how to accept or decline invitations kindly and respectfully, how to take responsibility for one’s actions, and how to offer comfort to a friend if harm has been caused.

In our Practical Life classroom, there are many works on the shelves that help promote independence in taking care of ourselves and our environment. Practicing squeezing a sponge does not only strengthen the muscles in a child’s hands but will also come in useful when wiping down the snack table after having snack. Being able to care for oneself boosts the child’s self-esteem and confidence, and being involved in taking care of our environment promotes their sense of belonging to the community and feeling important and needed.