Animals of Raintree

2023-06-10T16:42:44-05:00January 26th, 2023|Categories: Early Childhood, Raintree|Tags: , , , , |

The longer I work at Raintree, the more I wonder about the stories that collect around these fourteen acres of land.  The tales that are told with the most joy and humor are those of the animals.  Some are woven into the Raintree quilt, the earliest threads of the school story.  Some are retold at staff gatherings or parent/teacher conferences.  All are cherished memories that remind us of our responsibility to the small and delicate life around us. The chickens are visited daily by children, [...]

Read More

What Is It Like to Be a Raintree Substitute (and also a Raintree Parent)?

2023-06-10T16:41:20-05:00December 18th, 2022|Categories: Early Childhood, Elementary, Montessori, Raintree|Tags: , , , |

Some names in the story have been changed. After making my way down to the Lower Far East toddler community, I find the children gathered around the tables joined by a few parents and/or guardians, having a cookie exchange. It’s the penultimate day before winter break and although the children may not have a full grasp of how much their routines are about to alter for the foreseeable future, they can certainly grasp the growing buzz around campus as the holiday spirit begins to take [...]

Read More

Raising Adults

2022-12-11T19:07:52-06:00December 11th, 2022|Categories: Parenting|Tags: , , , , , |

Raising Adults Last week I was listening to NPR and was quite touched by a short interview with Michelle Obama on her latest book, The Light We Carry. In this interview Obama talked about her mother and the way she was raised. Her mother “had a clear philosophy about parenting, which is unusual for somebody of her generation. She said, I'm not raising children, I'm raising adults.” It reminded me of Dr. Montessori’s writing, “The education of even a small child, therefore, does not aim at [...]

Read More

It is Often Through Change That We Experience Great Growth: Helping Children Face Transitions

2021-05-07T14:30:17-05:00May 7th, 2021|Categories: Montessori, Raintree|Tags: , , , , , |

by Jennifer Baker Powers Spring is often referred to as a time of growth and rebirth. Just as the grass becomes green again and the buds come back out on the trees and flowers, humans experience change and renewal. Sometimes, that growth isn’t easy. There are many clichés and quotes we are all familiar with such as “what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger” or “stuck in a rut” and talk of “growing pains”. What all of these sentiments have in common is the idea [...]

Read More

The Grace and Courtesy of Giving and Receiving

2020-12-29T13:26:44-06:00December 1st, 2020|Categories: Parenting|Tags: , , , , |

By Jennifer Baker Powers Although for many of us the upcoming holiday season is going to look a little different this year, I imagine that there will still be a fair amount of giving and receiving of gifts. Perhaps even more so as parents and grandparents try to make up for the loss of time with extended family and the lack of seasonal travel. Here are a few tips to help children, who are generally outspoken and honest by nature, navigate both getting and giving [...]

Read More

Inspired by Greta Thunberg, Raintree student leads weekly protest about climate change

2020-12-29T13:50:59-06:00October 30th, 2020|Categories: Montessori, Raintree, Uncategorized|Tags: , , , , |

By Lauren Fox, Lawrence Journal World, October 30, 2020 For over a year, 10-year-old Dylan Tenbrink has been standing outside Raintree Montessori School on Friday mornings, protesting about climate change with her sign, “Our planet, our future.” Dylan, a fifth grader, became inspired to speak out about the climate after watching a short video about Greta Thunberg, the 17-year-old Swedish climate activist. “She had a really strong voice and she was able to be heard,” Dylan said of Thunberg. “She had strong feelings about the [...]

Read More

Handling Your Kid’s Disappointment When Everything Is Canceled

2020-04-11T17:12:07-05:00April 11th, 2020|Categories: Parenting|Tags: , , |

School and events are shutting down, impacting children in unexpected ways. Here’s how to deal with the letdown. By Erinne Magee March 18, 2020 • Taken from the New York Times When I told my 10-year-old daughter that her elementary school would be shutting down for two weeks, she didn’t seem to mind. But after Lexi had time to process the news and realized a friend’s birthday party, a dance competition and the “Jump Rope for Heart” fund-raiser at school were also looped into the [...]

Read More

How to Help Kids Learn to Love Giving

2019-12-05T15:50:00-06:00December 5th, 2019|Categories: Parenting|Tags: , , |

by Jason Marsh During the holidays, opportunities abound to help kids understand why and how to help people in need, with food drives proliferating and countless organizations making pitches for end-of-year donations. And there’s scientific evidence that kids should be receptive to those messages: Research suggests that they have a deeply rooted instinct to share and to help others, from the time they’re very young—one study even found that toddlers enjoy giving to others more than they like getting treats for themselves. Kids, it seems, have a strong, natural drive [...]

Read More

Seven Harmful Traits

2019-12-05T16:30:07-06:00September 5th, 2019|Categories: Parenting|Tags: , , , , |

by Maren Stark Schmidt Ever notice how a word, a phrase, a quote or a book title keeps popping up? Over the past couple of years the following Gandhi quotes keeps showing up in my studies. Every time I read these seven statements I am astounded at the wisdom conveyed in so few words. Gandhi is attributed with saying that these seven characteristics, the most spiritually perilous traits to humanity: Wealth without work Pleasure without conscience Knowledge without character Commerce without morality Science without humanity [...]

Read More

7 Key Phrases Montessori Teachers Use and Why We Should Use Them, Too

2018-06-21T09:17:03-05:00June 20th, 2018|Categories: Parenting|Tags: , , , , , , |

By Christina Clemer Montessori can be hard to sum up in just a few words —it is a philosophy on education and child development that runs deep. It’s a way of seeing the world. I think one of the easiest ways to get an idea for what Montessori means is to listen to the language that Montessori teachers use. Montessori teachers use language that respects the child and provides consistent expectations. Words are chosen carefully to encourage children to be independent, intrinsically motivated critical thinkers. [...]

Read More
Copyright 2012 - 2016 Raintree Montessori School | All Rights Reserved
Go to Top