PTO Garage Sale
Thank you for your donations and support of our annual garage sale. We raised $1763 and have sent the remaining clothing articles to Schoola where they will be sold online. Thanks to Wendy Haardt and Patricia Maddux for coordinating the event! We raised enough money to pay for one classroom of Empowering Writers for a year!
Montessori Moment
More than 100 years ago, Dr. Maria Montessori, Italy’s first female physician, inspired the birth of a worldwide educational movement.
Drawing upon her scientific background and clinical understanding, Dr. Montessori observed how young people learn best when engaged in purposeful activity rather than simply being fed information. She recognized that children's cognitive growth and development requires the construction of an educational framework that respects individuality and fulfills the needs of the “whole child.”
Her pioneering work created a blueprint for nurturing all children— from gifted to learning disabled—to become the self-motivated, independent, and life-long learners. That is the ultimate goal of today's pre-eminent educational reform movement. To read more of this article go to this website http://www.communityplaythings.com/resources/articles/2009/an-overview-of-the-montessori-method
Garden Oaks Montessori has received over 500 applications for the 2016-17 school year. If you are planning to enroll at Garden Oaks next year be sure to complete an online application on the HISD even if you are zoned to us. Starting at kindergarten, zoned students have a guaranteed spot if you reserve your space! Once the school is full, zoned students will be referred to the overflow campus. Be proactive and PLAN AHEAD!
“Children are human beings to whom respect is due, superior to us by reason of their innocence and of the greater possibilities of their future.”
Dr. Maria Montessori
Leader In Me
NOVEMber - Habit 3 Work First, Then Play:I spend my time on things that are most important. This means I say no to things I know I should not do. I set priorities, make a schedule, and follow my plan. I am disciplined and organized.
Handwriting
At Garden Oaks, handwriting is a skill that is taught in the classroom. Research shows that this is a skill that is important to the long-term success of students:
Handwriting influences a student’s ability to write words, thereby improving the ability to transform ideas into written language by constructing multi-word sentences. Dr. Steve Graham, Currey Ingram professor of literacy at Vanderbilt University, and Dr. Tanya Santangelo, associate professor of special education at Arcadia University, conducted a meta-analysis of research studies regarding students’ handwriting proficiency. After analyzing whether handwriting instruction produced greater gains than no handwriting instruction, they concluded that teaching this skill resulted in improved fluency and an increase in the quantity of students’ writing. Dr. Virginia Berninger, a professor of educational psychology at the University of Washington, reports that, after studying students in Grades 2, 4, and 6, those who used handwriting wrote more words, wrote words faster, and expressed more ideas than those who used keyboarding. Read more at https://www.hw21summit.com/media/zb/hw21/files/H2948_HW_Summit_White_Paper_eVersion.pdf
Important NOVEMBER Dates
16 Free screening of Ellis 3:30pm in the Middle school wing. This movie is narrated by Robert DeNiro and examines the history of migration of people to the United States of America. Movie lasts 15 minutes
18 EARLY DISMISSAL – Parent Conferences
19 THANKSGIVING luncheon - $4
20 Presentation to the Texas Education Agency Board of Trustees. Select students will meet at the school at 4:30am to represent GO
20 Pastries with Pollock 3:30pm in Library
20 – 21 Seven Habits Training – Register in front
24 Geography Bee
25 – 27 Thanksgiving Holiday
From the desk of Dr. Lindsey Pollock, Principal
November 15 - 20, 2015 Volume 8, Issue 12