Learning in school and working in a job are interconnected.  For an adolescent this can be a distant realization.  The Middle School at LifeSong Montessori offers our students an opportunity to experience some of the lessons of the working world by means of our Work Internship week program .
 
For this one-week program, each student is placed with a local business or organization.  The location is selected by the student based upon his or her interests.  Students do not attend class at the Middle School during this week.  Instead, their job sites become their classrooms and their employers become their teachers. 
 
Two LifeSong students participated in the internship opportunity this year.  M (12 years old) enjoyed interning with two LifeSong parents that own BE. Creative Makers with RV Metalshop.  She had the opportunity to observe how they create their designs, help finish and ready some ornaments for shipping, check-in and inventory a supply order of t-shirts, prepare the vinyl designs for transfer onto the shirts, and learn how to use a pottery wheel.  J (age 15) chose to intern at Great Southern Music at West End Commons.  He did some cleaning, organized music, built some stands for amps, saw how lessons were scheduled and took some credit card payments. 
 
The students were evaluated by their supervisor at the end of the week, and also completed a self-evaluation.  The following week, they turned in a portfolio with a schedule or itinerary of their activities, a daily diary entry, photos, an interview with their supervisor, and conclusion about the overall experience.  They also made a presentation to the Elementary class about their experience. 
 
Our three main goals of this experience are the following:
To internalize knowledge -The opportunity to take what is relevant into real life situations is one of the best ways to stimulate learning and foster growth in critical thinking and problem solving.
To refine communication skills - Building positive work ethics and meaningful relationships plays a key role in the growth and development of healthy communication skills.
To enhance self esteem - Opportunities to contribute to society encourage students to give as well as receive from the community.  This experience allows them to realize that they have many talents and skills to share with others. 
 
We feel that this program provides an invaluable experience for the adolescent.  In addition, we feel that there is no better way to prepare a student for real life and the working world than to actually take part in it.  We appreciate our community partners who helped make this opportunity a reality for our students this year. 

​Written by Maggie Wertz, Adolescent Guide

"Education should therefore include the two forms of work, manual and intellectual, for the same person, and thus make it understood by practical experience that these two kinds complete each other and are equally essential to a civilized existence."

​- Maria Montessori ​From Childhood to Adolescence

The Montessori Adolescent Program (ages 12-15) is the culmination of the child’s experience as a Montessori student. Adolescents need to construct themselves as responsible individuals who participate as contributing members of society.  All adolescents ask: “Who am I? Where do I fit in? What contribution can I make?" Adolescence is a time of intense transformation, including profound changes in the structure of the brain. While traditional education often teaches facts that are isolated from life outside the classroom, the Montessori adolescent program offers lessons with practical applications that allow students to make improvements in their community. “What will I use this for?” is another often-asked question of the adolescent, as he is determined to use knowledge to DO something in the world.

In order to respond to the adolescent’s needs, the Montessori Adolescent Program is designed to meet the adolescent where they are, build on the strengths of this developmental period, and ready the students for adulthood.  There are three key components that are unique to Montessori education for this age group that I believe set the adolescent up for future success.  They are: 1) a week-long internship program, 2) the establishment of a business enterprise, and 3) ongoing community service opportunities.  Through these programs, students experience firsthand practical roles that provide them with greater connections to society and the world.

Look for the next few posts to detail information about each of these experiences that we offer at LifeSong.   I will share how they prepare the adolescent to enter the next phase of their education armed with critical characteristics to become successful adults.

​Written by Maggie Wertz, Adolescent Guide

It’s about this time of year as the sun breaks through the winter sky and warms our skin more and more each day, that I get asked, “What are we going to do for Summer Camp?!?”

Sooner than we realize, it will be here. Long, warm days full of sunshine and giggles, digging in the dirt, exploring the world, trying new things, getting messy and making friends. While we don’t practice our math facts, letter sounds, or use the Montessori materials during Summer Camp we do use what we have learned during the school year and spend as much time as we want studying gravity, the elements, new art materials, or foods we can grow. The kids get excited and give me all sorts of ideas of what they want to do. The themes we explore are starting points that take us into other areas of fun and discovery.

This summer our theme “THEN and NOW” will be explored through science, art, nature, and cooking. What was the planet like millions of years ago? How has it changed? Before there was electricity, what did kids do to have fun? How can we make energy that is cleaner and safer for the Earth?  How did people cook their food 100 years ago? What will people be eating 100 years from now?  What inventions helped us to travel farther than we could 200 years ago? How did people stay cool before air conditioning? Oh the possibilities!
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Summer Camp for 2016, begins June 6th and ends June 17th. Campers can join us for both weeks or choose the week they wish to attend. Snacks will be provided.  In fact, we will be cooking/preparing snack each day and the choices will be inspired by our studies of THEN and NOW. This camp is open to any student (not just those that are currently attending or plan to attend LifeSong Montessori in the fall) so bring your friends, neighbors, siblings and cousins!  Space is limited, so reserve your spot soon.
 
June 6-10 “THEN Week”
June 13-17 “NOW Week”
Ages: 3y -10y (Preschoolers must be potty trained)                                                                                
​Hours:  Mon -Fri,  8:15 - 8:30am Drop-off, 11:30am Pick-up
Fees: $90 plus $25 Snack/Supply Fee per week
 
Contact Ms. Carolyne for a registration form or if you have questions:  [email protected]
 
Written by Carolyne Britt, Summer Enrichment Guide

It started with one piece of paper and one child. The idea of a simple birdhouse. White paper turned to colored card stock and a few more children; cut here, staple this, tape here. Pastel yarn tied this ‘Bird Paradise’ to a low-hanging branch on the playground.

Soon more birdhouses were created of all shapes and sizes. They were accompanied by sticks, rocks, bricks and grasses. Anything that could make this area more attractive or comfortable for the birds was added. Birdseed was brought from home. Each person in the class would take time out of his or her recess to help build the latest addition.

Free time during class was spent researching birds. Groups of children were found on rugs making booklets of the parts of a bird. Another student was researching bird pictures on the computer so she could copy them into her sketchbook. Two more kids were studying x-ray pictures of birds. All realistic, yet all creative.

​Did I mention that the teacher did not give one lesson concerning birds? She didn’t suggest the research. She didn’t encourage the booklets. She didn’t help at all. This learning was completely spontaneous. These children found an interest and worked toward the common goal of learning more about it. This is the heart of the Montessori classroom.
 
Written by Shannon Bennett, Elementary Guide