Visit from Fire Station Six

Today marked one of the highlights of Autumn at Bloom! The children were treated to a visit from the Station Six fire fighters, who came to the school as part of our annual unit on fire safety.

While many children revere firefighters, it is not uncommon for some small children to be very frightened of them. As a result, we consider it very important to begin each school year by teaching the children about fire safety. For our youngest children, preschool may be the first time that they have ever seen a fire fighter in uniform or participated in monthly fire drills; for older children, this unit gives them the opportunity to acquire a more sophisticated understanding of fire safety and what to do in the event of an emergency.

We strongly encourage our parent community to use this annual visit as an opportunity to review your own emergency preparedness (to check the batteries in your smoke detectors, review your household evacuation plan with your child, and to reinforce the information conveyed by the fire fighters during their visit).

For their part, the children could not have been more excited! Many of the children came to school clasping prized fire engine replicas for show and tell, or clad in full fire fighter costumes, and there was a general sense of euphoria as the children anxiously awaited their arrival and spent the morning running about the yard pretending to put out fires and rescue people.

At last, the engine pulled up alongside the gate!

Fire fighters Travis, Jason, and Roger began by giving a brief presentation about fire safety. The fire fighters taught the children about smoke detectors, how to activate 9-1-1 (and only to use it in an emergency), what to do in the event of a fire (they were told to go outside and wait for their parents at their family meeting spot),what to do if they found matches or lighters (to leave them alone, get an adult, and ask the adult to store them somewhere safe), how to avoid smoke inhalation by crawling outside if necessary, and, in the event of a fire at night, to touch their bedroom door to determine whether it is hot before exiting (if it were to be hot, children were told to stay in their room with the door closed, open their bedroom window, and call for help).

As part of the presentation, Firefighter Travis offered several important tips for parents as well:

• Ensure that your child's bedroom is equipped with a smoke detector. The City of Longmont Fire Department feels so strongly about the importance of this that if your child's room is not equipped with a smoke detector, you can call the fire department at 303/651. 8437 to receive a free smoke detector.


• Test the smoke detector monthly to ensure it is functioning (preferably by conducting a fire drill).


• Replace the batteries in your smoke detector twice a year (daylight savings times are a great time to do this).


• Make an evacuation plan and discuss it with your child. Make sure your child knows to evacuate and where to meet you in the event of an emergency.


• Teach your child his/her phone number and address so they can activate 9-1-1 in an emergency.


• Encourage your child to sleep with their bedroom door closed. In the event of a fire, this will give them more time to escape.


• Teach your child to evacuate their bedroom in an emergency by touching the door to determine if it is hot. If the door is hot to the touch, teach them to keep it closed, open their bedroom window, and scream for help. Tell them that firefighters would put a ladder against the house and climb up to rescue them.


• Keep matches, lighters, and other flammable materials out of reach.

The children listened to the presentation with rapt attention, and asked some great questions (What kind of fire engine was the truck? What made them want to become firefighters? What should they do if smoke comes under their bedroom door?). The firefighters were notably impressed with their attentiveness and intelligence (initially, they had expressed that children this age might be too young to understand 9-1-1 and detailed evacuation information, but after a few minutes of interacting with the children they decided that they could handle the full elementary presentation).

It is very important that young children learn not to be frightened of firefighters and to recognize them as people who are there to help them. Due to their bulky uniform, mask, and the distortion of their voice due to their oxygen tank, firefighters can seem very frightening to small children and, unfortunately, there have been several very sad instances where children run or hide from the very people who are there to help them. As a result, in what I consider the most important element of these visits, Fighter fighter Roger dressed in full regalia in front of the children (on a day which got up to 80 degrees) so that they could see that what might appear to be a frightening figure, is merely a person dressed in a special uniform.

The children learned that firefighters keep their clothes ready at hand so they can just step into their boots and pull up their pants.

They got to see their self-contained breathing apparatus, hear the sounds that it makes, and how it distorts the fire fighter's voice.

And, they got to come up and verify that beneath all of that thick, flame-retardant clothing, the kind and obliging Firefighter Roger was still safely sweating inside (just in case they had any doubts).

Then it was time for the highlight of the children's day... the tour of the fire engine!

Our obliging guests opened every nook and cranny of the fire engine so our curious little brood could peek inside. They fielded questions about how they cut cars apart, where they each sit int he fire engine, and numerous tales of the children's encounters with fire engines.

The firefighters also gave the children an exciting demonstration of how the lights work and how the siren sounds.

Finally, they awarded the children their Junior Firefighter badges, and allowed them to resume playing firefighter in the yard until lunch time. The industrious children busied themselves with fashioning sandbox buckets into helmets, making sifters into oxygen masks, organizing their tools in the fire station, and saving their beloved chickens from multiple fires in the chicken coop.

We would sincerely like to thank Firefighters Travis, Jason, and Roger of Station Six for their incredible patience, enthusiasm, and kindness. We really appreciate their willingness to take time out of their day to educate the children about fire safety and for their service to our community.

Preschool: The Best Job Training Money Can Buy

What is the value of a high quality preschool education?

That was the question put forward on NPR's All Things Considered this afternoon.
You can hear Alex Blumberg's article, or read the full story, at: http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2011/08/12/2011/139583385/preschool-the-best-job-training-program

NPR concluded their month long feature on child rearing with a piece on early childhood education. As part of the piece, they interview James Heckman, a Noble Prize winning University of Chicago economist and staunch advocate for the benefits of investing in early childhood education. Initially, Heckman's interest was not early childhood education, but researching the effects of job training programs. His research took an interesting turn when he discovered that for many participants, job training programs are ineffective because they lack a whole set of foundational skills, which are so basic that most people don't even consider them to be skills- the ability to focus and concentrate for an extended period of time, an attitude of abiding curiosity and interest in the world, the ability to resolve conflicts with others in a socially acceptable manner, and basic emotional regulation skills (the ability handle frustration, disappointment, and anger, to inhibit behavior, delay gratification, and modulate levels of arousal). Heckman calls these executive functioning skills "soft skills." His research shows that these skills serve as the foundation of future academic endeavors, and that if these skills are not acquired in early childhood, it is increasingly difficult to learn them later in life.

Preschool is where these skills are optimally acquired, and evidence suggests that providing children with a high quality preschool education confers benefits which can be seen forty years later. The most famous of these studies is the Perry Preschool study. In the study, 128 African-American three and four year old children from disadvantaged homes were divided into two groups. The experimental group attended a 2 1/2 hour preschool program, which (much like Montessori) engaged children in activities which required decision making and were child directed (not teacher directed); the control group did not attend preschool. For the rest of their education, the children attended the same public schools.

Twenty seven years later, the results were pretty staggering:
-There was a 44% higher rate of graduation amongst the children who attended preschool.
-There was a 26% lower rate of out of wedlock births among those who attended preschool.
-There were 50% fewer teenage pregnancies among those who attended preschool.

Forty years later, the effects continued:
-Those who attended preschool were 46% less likely to have served time in prison.
-Those who attended preschool had a 33% lower rate of arrest for violent crime.
-Those who attended preschool had a 42% higher median monthly income.
-Those who attended preschool were 26% less likely to have received government assistance.

Heckman's conclusion: Preschool is the best job training program money can buy. Put another way, as Dr. Montessori surmised more than 100 years ago, "The most important period of life is not the age of university studies, but the first one, from birth to age of six. For that is the time when man's intelligence itself, his greatest implement is being formed. But not only his intelligence, his full range of psychic powers... At no other age has the child greater need of intelligent help, and any obstacle which impedes his creative work will lessen his chances of achieving perfection."

To read more about James Heckman's research, you can visit his website at:
http://www.heckmanequation.org/content/advocacy-favorites

To read more about the Perry Preschool Project: http://www.evidencebasedprograms.org/wordpress/?page_id=65

Bon Appetit!

Are these pictures from an end of summer garden party?

No. It's a typical school lunch for preschoolers.

Today marked the first day of the Bloom! Montessori School hot lunch program.

For the 2011-2012 school year, we are fortunate to be partnering with Revolution Foods to provide the children with approachable, nutritious, hot lunch options. Revolution Foods was founded in Oakland, CA in 2006 by Kirsten Saenz Tobey and Kirsten Groos, two mothers who wanted to reverse the growing tide of childhood obesity and the poor eating habits that proclaim America's youth. To date, Revolution Foods has served more than 23 million meals to school children and serves more than 70,000 meals daily to school children in more than 600 programs across the country. Revolution Foods serves meals that are appealing, delicious, and nutritious. Their meals consist of lean proteins, whole grains, a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, and healthy fats. They utilize whole, not heavily processed convenience foods, in age-appropriate portion sizes. Their mission is to instill life-long nutritional habits which will support student health and the maintenance of a healthy weight. All of their ingredients meet Whole Foods Market's stringent quality standards.

Revolution Foods meals never contain:

-NO rBST or hormones in milk
-NO fried food (including flash fried food)

-NO high fructose corn syrup

-NO trans fats

-NO artificial colors, flavors, or sweeteners

-NO flavored milk or juice.

If the idea of "school hot lunch" conjures images of worn cafeteria trays, hair nets, and hamburgers, think again. The excited children participated in the ritual of setting the communal tables- carefully laying out the muslin tablecloths, setting the tables with a full place setting of china, and adorning the tables with their beautiful flower arrangements. When the preparations were complete, the children politely passed the serving vessels around the table, chatted politely about the day's events, and practiced using their best table manners. The children dined on all natural bean and cheese burritos, steamed carrots, salad, and fresh, local, peaches. Our meals are served with the child's choice of Horizon Organic Nonfat DHA Omega 3 milk, Silk Soy DHA Omega 3 with Calcium, or filtered water.

By the time lunch was over, practically all of the children had taken second helpings (interestingly, the steamed carrots and fresh peaches were the first to go) and the serving platters were completely empty! Everyone was very pleased with the quality, flavor, and appearance of the meals;

however, the main point of interest for the children was the ambiance. They were absolutely delighted with the embroidered tablecloths (embroidered place settings allowed them to set the table by matching the plates and silverware to their corresponding outlines), and they spent the majority of lunch practicing their table manners and mastering the skill of cutting food with a knife and fork (this was a new skill for all but one child- and I suspect the reason that the carrots disappeared first-they were the perfect food to practice cutting and eating).

As I watched the elated children learning to use knives and forks, I could not help but think of a recent Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution episode which addressed the subject of giving knives to young children: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOLTGT1Aexg

Just as Jamie Oliver surmised, it took the children less than one meal to have the basics down, and taught them a valuable skill that they will use for the rest of their lives.

We would like to extend a sincere thanks to Revolution Foods, especially Jenny Herman, Jacqueline Gleason, & Pat Donovan, for their commitment to the revolution and for making this wonderful program available to our small school. For more information about their program, please visit their website at: http://www.revfoods.com/

We would also like to thank St. Vrain Community Montessori School. We were too small to serve as our own "drop off site," and SVCM has graciously allowed us to use their location during the school year. Thank you so much for your kindness!

Finally, I wanted to thank my husband, Josh, for spending the weekend installing the new stove at the school and doing the vent and HVAC work to make this possible.

Thanks!

Visit from the Butterfly Pavilion

This afternoon, the children were treated to one of the highlights of our summer arthropod unit, a visit from the Butterfly Pavilion. The Butterfly Pavilion has the distinction of being the nation's first stand alone non-profit invertebrate zoo. It features more than 1,600 free flying butterflies, more than thirty five species of arthropods, and a tide pool showcasing other invertebrates.
For our classroom, Dorothy, a volunteer with the Butterfly Pavilion's acclaimed Outreach Program, presented their Summer Bug Safari program to the children. Spirits were high all morning in anticipation of the impending visit. When it was time to gather as a group to view the insects, the children sat with rapt attention as Dorothy reviewed the basic characteristics of all arthropods, explained the difference between carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores, and explained the terms habitat, decomposer, and scavenger. Then, she showed the children some amazing examples of preserved exoskeletons.
The presentation began with a visit from a reticent hermit crab,
followed by the largest centipede I have ever seen.

Then, the children were treated to a visit from a gregarious millipede with forty legs,

and several Madagascar hissing cockroaches. The children were allowed to touch the cockroaches, to feel their hard exo-skeletons and hear the unique hissing sound they produce by forcing air through their spiracles.

While our study of arthropods concentrated heavily upon insects and their important role as pollinators, the predictable highlight of the presentation is always the arachnids. The children were treated to an up-close view of a Black Widow Spider and a scorpion- the latter was met with stifled gasps and a refrain of "I've never seen a real scorpion before," (to which our amused and gracious guest guest responded "How lucky that I brought one then").

Finally, it was time for the appearance of Rosie, the Chilean Rose Tarantula (or one of her numerous doppelgangers), the star of the show.

Ask any child who has been to the Butterfly Pavilion before for the highlight of their trip, and you are likely to get one answer: holding Rosie the tarantula. Unfortunately, when the Butterfly Pavilion came to the school last year, Rosie was in the process of molting and feeling too temperamental to be safely fondled by a classroom of preschoolers; this year, we were in luck- Rosie was amenable. Dorothy gave the children some quick instructions as to how to safely hold Rosie and tried to alleviate any fears the children might have had.

Then, to the great surprise of our guest, every child in the classroom willingly invited Rosie to crawl across their little palms and give them an arachnid "high five" with her furry little legs.

At the end of the presentation, our thoughtful guest took a few moments to ask me about the school and inquire into Dr. Montessori's theories about behavior and guidance. "The children were so well behaved," she remarked (to my visible delight). "Dr. Montessori believed strongly in the importance of instructing children in grace and courtesy," I explained proudly. We spent a few moments discussing how little attention is often given to these skills, despite the fact that most research shows that impulse control, the ability to delay gratification, and teaching children pro-social behaviors are among the most important skills we teach them, and the very foundation of future academic success.

For my part, I couldn't help but think, the presentation embodied the ideals of a Montessori education: our job is to present the world to children in a way which will arouse their interest, curiosity, and admiration.

We would like to sincerely thank Dorothy, our kind and knowledgeable guest, and the Butterfly Pavilion for bringing this amazing program to our school. For more information about the Butterfly Pavilion, please visit their website at: http://www.butteflies.org/.

Graduation BBQ is Today at 10:00 am!

Reminder: The 2010 - 2011 Graduation BBQ is today at 10:00 am! The graduation ceremony will include a performance by the Bloom! Suzuki Violin Students, the presentation of diplomas, and a family BBQ.

The school will supplybeverages, plates and utensils, hamburgers, 100% beef hotdogs, veggie burgers, and a vegan salad option. Please bring something to sit on (picnic blankets or camp chairs) and a dish to share.

We hope to see everyone there!

Parent Teacher Conferences

Reminder: Parent Teacher Conferences are Thursday, May 26th & Friday, May 27th from 7am - 7pm.

At your conference you will receive your child's portfolio of work, a copy of the book A Parent's Guide to the Montessori Classroom by Aline Wolf (given to you upon your first conference at the school to use a a resource during your child's time at Bloom!- the book offers a concise explanation of the philosophy and the materials used in the Montessori classroom with full color photos), an album of photos showing your child's major accomplishments and the lessons they were primarily engaged with over the term (photos are annotated with notes written by your child's guide that reference the pages where the material is explained in more detail in A Parent's Guide to the Montessori Classroom), a CD of additional photos of your child taken during the term, and your complementary copy of the 2010-2011 class picture.

Your child's written progress report for the term will be mailed to you.

We are not comfortable discussing your child's growth and development in their presence
and ask that you make alternate child care arrangements during your conference time. Most conferences take 30 minutes.

We can't wait to show you what your child has been up to this term!

Open House Today from 2-4

Reminder to New Families With Children Starting During the Summer Session:

We are hosting an Open House today from 2-4pm to provide additional comfort tours to new families with children who will be starting during the Summer Session which begins on Tuesday, May 31st.

Please feel free to stop by the school to ask questions, drop off required health forms and paperwork, and help your child to feel more comfortable in their new environment.

Also, please remember that if your child is a new student (not a current student) beginning during summer session, the school must recieve required paperwork no later than this Wednesday (May 25th) for your child to start next week. Turning in paperwork after this date will result in a late start date for your child. Please contact our office if you have additional questions or need additional copies of the required forms.

Forms can be mailed, faxed (to 303/776.8173), emailed, or left in the drop box next to the cloakroom entrance (this box is checked daily). We will email you to confirm receipt.

Thank you!