News Letter Issue No. 18
December 1996

Dear Parents,

We have had a wonderful autumn term. The parents evening was an informative and successful programme during this term. The evening went well with both the teachers and parents benefiting from the exchange of ideas and information. We always like to see all parents as these meetings help us all to understand the capabilities and needs of the children. Attendance at such gatherings makes a significant contribution to parent's understanding of their children.

The Arts have always been given a special place in our environment. This term we were fortunate to have Mrs. Saab playing the violin. Hearing a musical instrument being played live, is such a growing experience for the children. We would like to thank Mrs. Saab for her recital. Another musical event was staged by two ex-students of Tiny Home, Shaan and Shakini Sachdev, when they performed on the organ as a duo. The children enjoyed both instruments and the visits gave them an opportunity to sing some of their favourite songs.

Children love animals, and we like to provide the opportunity for the children to get familiar with as many animals as we can. A neighbour paid us a visit with his beautiful white pony which the children loved watching closely and touching. Mrs. Midwood and Mrs. Bronge brought their cats to the school. The cat Mrs. Bronge brought was Persian, while Mrs. Midwood's kittens were Siamese crosses. The cats were very friendly and the children loved their presence in the classroom. These kinds of experiences give a boost to the children's imagination and helps lead towards abstraction. If parents do have access to any safe animals, especially amphibians or reptiles, we would appreciate if they could arrange to bring them to school.

It is such a reward to see a child growing up into an independent and confident individual. One of our old students Khalifa Al Ansari, visited his friends at the school. Khalifa brought along a book from his present school, which he read to the children during the circle time.

In November we celebrated Diwali. Following traditional Diwali rituals, the children made "Diyas" (oil lamps) out of clay. Of course no celebration is complete without the greeting cards. Mrs. Shah and Mrs. Ameena Durrani spared their time to explain how Diwali is celebrated, and made Rangoli (coloured powder decorations on the floor ) in front of the children. We thank them for the superb display.

Art is a subject that fosters creativity. Through art, the child can find a medium of self-expression that will enhance his growth and help him build a good self-image. In a Montessori classroom, children are free to explore the art materials, for example paint and brush, to create their own ideas and impressions. Children are introduced to the art of well known artists such as Van Gogh, Monet and others. Poster displays of some famous masterpieces can be found around the Montessori classroom, helping children develop an awareness and an appreciation of paintings.

This term, the Arts led us to visit the "Green Art Gallery". We saw paintings of a prominent local artist - Abdul Qadir. The artists' work reflected on the culture and scenery of the Emirates. The children were shown the different mediums used by the artist in his paintings, such as water colours and oil paints. Later, back in the classroom, the children were given a practical demonstration of the difference between the two mediums.

The trip was fun and informative. We would like to recommend parents to take their children on such visits.

In anticipation of the U. A. E National Day, a trip to the Dubai Museum seemed appropriate. At the museum, we got to see Dubai through the ages, and its gradual progress. We looked at some interesting exhibits of costumes and jewelry, household items, falconry, fishing, pearl diving and items of local history. The exhibit of the traditional Arab house brought us to notice the interesting feature of the wind tower. Children could be
heard saying, "it's so cool", as they sat under the wind tower for some time. The wind tower represents one of the world's earliest forms of air-conditioning. The visit to the museum, as usual, left the children with a lot to talk about. Many were asking when the next trip would be!

The Rainbow class had two outings earlier this term; the Dubai Zoo and the Fruit Garden at the Al Nasr Leisureland.

The Rainbow class were, as always, very excited to go to the zoo. Here they would see the classroom pictures of animals on cards come to life. Unfortunately the real thing was a little bit more scary than anticipated. The children were wary of the big cats, but had great delight watching the smaller domestic, and farm animals, and of course the monkeys were a great hit! Mrs. Palau, who accompanied us, was most helpful in rounding up the children and shared with us a lot of interesting facts about the animals.

Excitement built up again before the Al Nasr Leisureland outing. It was an adventurous start with the children loving the red bus ride. We went on three rides which were a bit scary for some but more pleasant for most. We snacked on a bench, took pictures under a rainbow and had a glorious time on the jumping castle. We returned to the red bus laden with cardigans and popcorn. Every one had a great time.

Tiny Home will have its Christmas celebrations on Thursday 19th December. Children will come to school at the usual time. On this day, we would like to invite all parents to the school to join in the celebrations. However, parents will arrive in school only at 10.00 am, and go to their child's respective classroom (a circular will follow with further details).

We would like to remind you once again that "Parent Observation in the Classroom" is an ideal opportunity to gain an insight into the Montessori environment, how it functions, and how your child works within it. Parent Observations have begun in all three classrooms and are by appointment only. Observations are held for one parent at a time per class. Due to the demand, in January and February, we will have observation three days a week for about half an hour a session on- Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays.

There is a sign-up sheet posted outside your child's classrooms. On the day of the observation, parents are to arrive in school at 9.00 am. The observation time in the classroom will be from 9:15 am to 9.45 am. Parents may speak to the teachers regarding their visit at the end of the day, i.e. 12:15 pm.

Please note that parent observations are not being held for the Rainbow class as the children are disturbed and distracted too easily at this young age.

We would like to take this opportunity to inform all parents that whenever the Ministry of Education declares a holiday for private schools, Tiny Home will comply as required and remain closed, as was done on Thursday 14, November - on the occasion of the President's return after successful medical treatment abroad.

Rest and Sleep
Early to bed and proper sleep is important for the overall development of a child. A good night's rest contributes to a child's fruitful day at school. Children are able to work well and enjoy the day. Otherwise a child tends to be tired and unable to focus on classroom activities.

Snack Programme
Snack time provides a wonderful opportunity for the children to experience free time with a few classmates. The children help to prepare the snack, and this encourages them to get involved in activities such as slicing, peeling, pouring, spreading and washing fruits and vegetables. They smell and taste new things and learn to share with their peers. We encourage parents to provide healthy savoury snacks as opposed to sweets (such as cookies, cakes and muffins that can be shared at birthday celebrations). They love fruits, vegetables, crackers and cheese. If you have any queries about snack, please talk to one of the classroom teachers.
Mrs. Perera

Notes from the Nurse
Healthy hair can be achieved through good health habits, cleanliness and personal grooming.

Hair is subject to troublesome infestations by lice. As a preventive measure, periodic follow up plays an important role for the nurse to maintain the children's hygiene.

With the changing season children are susceptible of catching colds. In a school environment, the cold germs spread easily in the form of an airborne virus. Simple preventive measures can be taken to increase resistance to colds, such as taking appropriate dozes of vitamin C in the form of fresh fruit juices, increasing fluid intake, getting proper amounts of sleep, eating sensibly, avoiding exposure to sudden chills, and staying away from crowds. If your child does catch a cold, it is best to keep him at home for 2-3 days to prevent the spread of infection.

Please do inform me about the latest date of immunizations given to your child. Also remember to keep us updated with any changes to your telephone numbers.

Mrs. Auelia RN, School Nurse

In this issue of the News letter, we feature an interesting article by Mrs. Gretchen. She explains one of the areas of the Montessori classroom - Exercises of Practical Life and suggestions on how it can be followed at home.

Exercises of Practical Life

There are five (distinct) areas in a Montessori environment - the practical life, the sensorial, the language, the mathematics and the cultural areas. Each has much importance as the other for the child, as each acts as a guide in helping the child become normalized through the establishment of a love of learning. In our classrooms the children are given an opportunity to become an important and acting member of a small community. The lessons he is shown from the start aid him as he endeavours to become part of this community.

The activities of the practical life exercises link the children with the world around them. When the child first comes to school, they have already mastered a variety of abilities however they will also have needs such as order, detail exploration, independence and self motivation which need to be addressed. The directress (teacher) must make it possible for these needs to be fulfilled.

1) Dr. Montessori wrote "the most important period of life is not the age of university studies, but the first one, the period from birth to the age of six... at no other age has the child greater need of an intelligent help". She often talked of the child's "absorbent mind". In doing so, she compared their young minds to a sponge that absorbs information from their environment. The clearest example of this is their incredible ability to learn the languages spoken in their homes and schools. In our world today, often the child is absorbing more than one. She believed that the hand was the chief teacher of the child and so our environment invites the child to explore through purposeful activities, with his hands. This is started through the use of the practical life exercises.

Included in these exercises are skills that allow the children to take care of the environment, to care for himself and to deal with human relationships.

2) Dressing frames give the child an opportunity to develop the skills to dress himself at home. Pouring and funneling water into a variety of different containers establish the control they will need to pour juice into a glass or milk into a bowl. Sitting quietly waiting for your turn to share an idea, or saying "excuse me" as you pass between two people leads to the self-control needed to live with others.

Being aware of the needs of others and helping out when necessary, shows care and understanding for those you live with. It is essential for care givers (parents, house girls, grand parents) to have an understanding of this, as much of the child's day is spent in their company. At the start of a school day each child shakes hands and says hello to the directress. By doing this, we are giving them an opportunity to build self-confidence, so important at this young age. The child may then choose an exercise which demands concentration and exactness and therefore offers a challenge. Each piece of work is meaningful - his movements are being perfected and self-control and concentration are being established. In some schools where a bell is ringing every 40 minutes or so, concentration is broken and the children are often unable to stick to one thing at a time. If a child is placed in a situation where the power of concentration is good, the child develops a good will.

Order is essential too and building an environment where there is order (outer order) means that the child will have order in doing things for himself (inner order). At this time reality plays an important role in helping the child to become normalized. If a child is living in a world surrounded by fantasy, it will be difficult for these characteristics to be established. This is why we encourage parents to look at realistic television programs and to provide books, before age five that tell real life stories or provide information about the world (animals etc.) around us. Each child must be given a chance to develop to his greatest potential and at the start of his life. In a Montessori environment the practical life exercises enable him to do this each day in the classroom as visitors come and go and social contact is made with peers and teachers, the children have many opportunities to put these life patterns into action. They become habitual and the child grows as a social being. Expect the best at home and on a social outing. We want to establish a love of learning and a joy in doing so - it is such an important and essential aid to life.
Mrs. Gretchen

The child who has everything done for him, everything given to him and nothing required of him is a deprived child ..... The parent who tries to please the child by giving in to him and expecting nothing from him ends up by pleasing no one, least of all the child. For in the end, when trouble results, the child will blame the parents for his gutlessness.

Larry Christenson

Love means discipline

Teach a child how he should live, and he will remember it all his life.

(The book of Proverbs)