News Letter Issue No. 19
April 1997

Dear Parents,

This term has come to a successful end. Our excursions have been interesting and have provided the children with great new experiences.

The Fire Station visit was, as always, exciting and informative. We learned of the importance of the Fire Department and how they fight fire and rescue people. We were shown the big fire engines from both inside and out. The loud sirens, when switched on, startled us all. We saw how water sprayed out of the fire hose, and the children were even allowed to hold the hose for a bit of water fun. They put on real fire helmets and fire resistant jackets; quite an experience! We thank the Department of Civil Defense for their wonderful hospitality.

The second trip was a new one for Tiny Home. A trip to the racing stables. We are very thankful to Mr. & Mrs. McLaughlin for their time, and for the opportunity they provided us. This trip showed the children so much about horses, from what the they ate and drank, to how they were groomed, ridden and taken care of. The children were amazed to see the hooves of the horses being filed and painted and how the horse shoes were nailed on the hooves. Each and every child was offered a ride on Tyson, a wonderfully patient horse. The McLaughlins were kind enough to photograph the children on horseback. All the children and teachers received a horse shoe as a souvenir to take home. Wow!

Our last trip of the term was to the Majlis gallery. Once again the children saw some interesting pieces of art. Some people would think it inappropriate to take children of such an age group to an art gallery. The goals behind such a trip are firstly, to build an appreciation of art and secondly, to call upon their concentration and self-discipline as they quietly look at the pictures. Another interesting fact about the Majlis art gallery is that it is actually an old Arabic house with a wind tower and a Majlis. This experience was a follow-up to our Dubai Museum trip, where we saw how local people lived in tents and palm houses years ago.

Show and Tell, one of our classroom's morning activities, provides the children with an opportunity to share items of interest to them, as well as to allow their confidence to grow in public speaking. Joe Paul from the Blue class brought his two pet hamsters to school for Show and Tell. A great treat for all of us! Nearly all the children in the other classes had a chance to see them. Adel and his mother brought in their pet Dalmatian. With the popularity of the film The 101 Dalmatians, we were all thrilled. The children had the opportunity to ask questions about her care and, of course, to give her a gentle pat. Such gestures are always welcome and we invite other children to bring their pet to school, especially if it is a reptile or an amphibian. Please check with the class teacher if you have a pet you would like to show to the children. During the hotter days in May and June when it is more difficult to have outdoor outings, it is nice to be able to provide the children with these kinds of new experiences at school.

You may have noticed that our rabbit population has been brought under control. They "boys" were taken over to the Dubai Zoo and we are very grateful to them for assisting us. Be sure to visit them when you are at the zoo.

After the spring break it will be too hot for us to have playtime at the end of the day. Instead, we will be out in the garden first thing in the morning. Please try to have your child at school on time so that this important part of your child's morning activities is not missed. It is only because of the weather that we have to move outside play to the start of the day. Children entering a Montessori environment do best when they enter the classroom first to do their work.

We continue to encourage you to provide the children with healthy, nutritious snacks at school. With this in mind, we ask that sweets provided for birthday celebrations could perhaps be a fruit plate as was done recently for the celebrations of Dylan and Jasmine's birthdays. It is very important for the children to learn healthy eating habits. Cup-cakes covered in icing and candy are fine once in a while, but please save these types of snacks for home or special events..

Rainbow class outings
The Rainbow class has had four wonderful outings this term. The trip to the fire station in January was an interesting one. The children were delighted to see the big luminous fire trucks, the helmets, the bright yellow fire proof helmets of the firemen. They also got to listen to the loud siren. We had an opportunity to sit inside a fire truck which we all greatly enjoyed.

In February the little ones also got to visit the racing stables. On our arrival, the first sight of horses looking out from the stable door excited the children very much. They were delighted to see them at such close range. They were equally excited to see the horses reaching out to the bundles of hay hung outside the stables and being brushed and taken care of . The short ride on the horse did prove a bit too much for a few, but was an adventure for most.

We also visited the Al Wasal park in February. The weather was cool and the slides and swings were lots of fun. The children enjoyed their snack in typical picnic style, and were excited to travel in the school bus - the Red Bus - as they call it. Mrs. Patel accompanied and helped us a great deal, and captured many an exciting moment on her camera.

Our trip in March was to the Umm Suqeim park, where the children once again enjoyed themselves on the swings, slides, and play houses. To have an outdoor snack is always exciting. A few children collected sea shells from the sandy areas. They once again enjoyed the bus ride and wanted "to go to the park again" when we talked about the outing at circle time.

Notes from the Nurse
Every month a thorough check up of ears, teeth, nails and also for head lice is carried out by the me. I find that some children's nails are a bit too long. This is a medium in which germs can lodge. I would recommend that nails be kept short and clean. Sometimes we forget that the ears need to be cleaned too. Twice a week would be fine. Biweekly inspection by me before class begins helps monitor your child's health.

Our School Doctor comes on regular visits for a routine check up of the children. This is a requirement of the Health Ministry. He has reminded us that the children should have check ups once or twice a year with their dentist.

If your child is 4 years old, he or she is due for a second booster dose of DPT and Polio, MMR and Hepatitis B (if not given earlier). Also important is the Mantoux test, which checks that the BCG vaccination ( usually given at birth) is still effective. Please give me a copy of your child's latest immunization record after all these have been done.

Mrs. Avelia O. Balatbat R N, School Nurse

Sensorial Education

We get knowledge about the world through our senses. This learning process goes on throughout our childhood. At birth a child does not have any knowledge of the world. In the beginning he responds automatically with reflex actions. The early reflex actions build the base of future learning. The child acquires knowledge through his senses.

Dr. Maria Montessori was the first to talk about the "sensitive periods of infancy", and to make use of them from the standpoint of education (in her book The Secret of Childhood).

Every individual child passes through various specific sensitive periods, which are very important times of a child's life. At specific sensitive periods, the child has a strong urge to learn about his environment through his senses. According to Maria Montessori, these are the periods when a child should be presented a systematic sense education.

Dr. Montessori designed sensorial apparatus for training and refining the five senses. These materials help the child to develop his sensory motor activities. The child starts with simple activities, then gradually moves on to more complicated ones. The sensorial equipment encourages the child to work in an ordered way which helps the child to become disciplined. There is a control of error in the apparatus that helps the child to correct his own mistakes. This self rectification aids in the development of independence, as the child does not constantly need outside help.

Through the sensorial apparatus the child also strengthens muscular movements, hand-eye coordination, and learns the appropriate language involved. Most of the apparatus requires the child to use his thumb, index and middle fingers. The use of these specific fingers are towards a preparation for writing.

Different dimension of cubes, cylinders, prisms and rods give muscular perception of size, length, breadth and width, all helpful in forming mathematical concepts. Some of the materials have direct and indirect influence in the field of mathematics, reading, science and geography.

A perfect example is one of the first materials introduced - The Pink Tower. This may just seem like blocks which are formed into a tower. Yet great thought has gone into the design and function. The type of wood used to make the blocks is special. The wood is very light yet strong, which makes the weight of the larger blocks comfortable for a small child. The colour is a pastel shade, not a bright pink. This is done so that the child is not distracted by an overload of sensorial information. It allows the material to stimulate the specific sense for which it has been designed for, in this case, "volume". The smallest block is exactly a one centimeter cube. The largest, a ten centimeter cube, that is exactly one liter in volume. The child subconsciously absorbs these dimensions! All Montessori materials are designed with this same careful consideration.

The Directress (teacher) watches each child's progress throughout their time in the Montessori environment. She will be aware when a child is passing through a sensitive period. She decides when to direct the child on to suitable activities according to the child's interest and level of understanding, as well as his ability to be self-disciplined, self-motivated and independent.

The sensorial equipment has always amazed and fascinated Montessorians, educators and those who come across it as parents. It is simple, clean and amazingly appealing to the children. The foundations formed in the use of the sensorial equipment are really the key to their learning now, and most importantly, in the future. Sense education makes such perfect sense.

Learning for Life

If a child lives with criticism
He learns to condemn.

If a child lives with hostility
He learns to fight.

If a child lives with ridicule
He learns to be shy.

If a child lives with shame
He learns to feel guilty.

If a child lives with tolerance
He learns to be patient.

If a child lives with encouragement
He learns to be confident.

If a child lives with praise
He learns justice.

If a child lives with security
He learns to have faith.

If a child lives with approval
He learns to like himself.

If a child lives with acceptance and friendship
He learns to find love in the world.

Dorothy Law Nolte