Tag: Harborlight-Stoneridge Montessori

Toot. Toot.

Posted on by Nichole S.

That was me blowing my horn.  Only it isn’t really my horn.  It is the horn that belongs to phenomenal school where I am incredibly privileged to teach.

While I could always wax poetically about many of the special things that happen there on a daily basis, I don’t.  So, when I do…you know it is going to be even extra special.  Like today.  This isn’t just any proud moment though.  This one also includes the one and only, Sista Felicia.  This week, for one super fun night, Harborlight-Stoneridge Montessori and Sista Felicia joined forces.

See, our Middle School students put their wonderfully creative minds together and planned themselves a pretty exceptional week-long field study trip to Gloucester. Gloucester may have, at first, seemed like an odd choice since these students all hail from the North Shore area, but given the fact that they were excited to dig deeper, explore further, and learn more substantially about this special place we call home, it wasn’t really an odd choice at all.

They rented themselves a pretty sweet home on the beach, created a week-long vision of learning, drew a logo, and planned a week to end all weeks.  With the direction of their teachers, but the license to make their own decisions, they planned a week that includes working closely with Tony Wilbur at Maritime Gloucester, a sail on the Ardelle, some time on the Adventure, learning how to SUP, a trip to Cape Pond Ice, a meeting with Angela Sanfilippo, a visit with a couple of local artists, a lobstering trip, a visit to Hammond Castle, a walk on Dog Bar Breakwater, and much (much) more.  Oh, wait…much more…including breaking in their vacation pad by preparing an exceptionally delicious meal with Sista Felicia.

Don’t be surprised if you hear more about this trip in the week to come, but in the meantime I wanted to show you how fantastic it was to have my worlds collide. Felicia, no surprise, led these students like the expert she is.  She had them working all areas of the kitchen with enthusiasm and, in the end, a fantastic meal consisting of appetizers, “cocktails”, salad, main courses (obviously including locally caught fish), and a dessert….but, most importantly, teamwork…was served.

Thanks so much, Felicia!  A side note, that probably goes with out saying, is that the food was delicious and received accolades from all.

Better to Give Than Receive

Posted on by Nichole S.

So proud of my students last week! They decided that it would be better to give than receive. They opted to skip the annual gingerbread house making for themselves and instead baked like crazy in class and at home. We then made a list of recipients and delivered holiday treats from Beverly to Ipswich to people whom our school is thankful for. We wish we could have made 100 more stops.

Please take a minute to watch  how amazing they are!

Zimbabwe? Zimbabwe.

Posted on by Nichole S.

I was talking with a friend the other day about how our young children are like little sponges and we shared stories about the crazy amounts of information that they are able to learn…and I remembered this little video.

I count my blessings every day that Thatcher and Finn are in love with learning and that they appreciate all that is being introduced to them at the Harborlight-Stoneridge Montessori School.

Thatcher took this video of Finn practicing a song that he learned to remember all of the countries in Africa….and then it leads into his actual performance with his Preschool class….during which, he clearly needs to pee and it appears he is breaking a sweat trying to remember the words.  He is also busting out some of his father’s mad dance moves 🙂   Undeniably my husband’s child.

And…along those same lines…

Here is a link about the epic failure of Americans to label a map of Europe and, likewise, of Brits to label a map of the United States.