OMA news
Dr. Kathleen Lloyd Speaks on Self-Regulation
May 27, 2010
Read the Forza Vitale! article by David Ayer.
Spring Tea Honorees
May 11, 2010
Susie Huston Award for 2010
Anna Varnelius
Anna is the beloved primary guide of the Sunflower Cottage at Sunstone Montessori School since 2004.
“Her gentle, calm spirit and passion for her work bring a wonderful sense of joy to the classroom.”
“It is clear that Anna doesn’t just practice Montessori from 8 to 3, this is a philosophy that she lives.”
“She is so gentle, present and clear in her work and communication. I really value her dedication and hope she stays teaching for many years to come …”
“I believe she has a profound impact on the children she guides”.
Outstanding Dedication Award for 2010
Jennifer Davidson
Jennifer has received this award for her work as Executive Director at the Montessori Institute Northwest Training Center.
“Jennifer has created and extended a vision of Montessori teacher education and community growth of Montessori that is being directly implemented on a daily basis. The goal of all three levels of training running concurrently at MINW by 2012 – a first for the United States,…has every possibility of becoming a reality.”
“Her administration, clear-headedness and strong hand all work to steer the Institute ever onward and upward, and creates a training center model that is rapidly becoming the envy of other centers.”
OMA Interviews Daniel Pink on Motivation
March 18, 2010
Read the latest version of Forza Vitale! as OMA Board members Joy Nauman and David Cannon interview author Daniel Pink about his new book, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us.
Delivered March 19 to your e-mail inbox.
What Should School Be For?
February 5, 2010
Read the February 5 edition of FORZA VITALE!
This issue reviews a talk by Dr. Steven Hughes, a pediatric neuropsychologist, September 2008 at the Montessori Institute Northwest (MINW).
A Mom's Montessori Moment
January 15, 2010
A Mom’s Montessori Moment by David Ayer
A parent shares with the Montessori staff a beautiful observation of her children in an interesting environment.
OMA Featured on Back Cover of Metro-Parent
January 4, 2010
A full page full color ad for our OMA schools is featured in the January edition of Metro-Parent.
Metro-Parent distributes 45,000 copies of Metro-Parent throughout the region each month. Their research indicates that over 100,000 people read Metro-Parent monthly and that 92 percent of their readers are moms (who make 85% of household buying decisions.)
To view this issue on line, go to:
http://www.metro-parent.com/issues/jan10/index.html
Thanks again to Sally Coulter for her work in designing the ad, as well as to Lena Wood and Mark Berger for writing the ad copy.
And of course, a big thank you to all of our member schools who made this ad possible. Working together we are better!
To see a copy of the ad, click here.
Why Montessori? Videos from Corvallis Alumnus
December 20, 2009
Mark Berger, head of school at Corvallis Montessori School, let us know of a new video "Why Montessori?" filmed by a former student who is now in film school at NYU.
Take the time to enjoy this twelve-minute video in two parts.
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-VUJLR_0Uc
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_l9oEROaCY
Forza Vitale! Debuts as E-Bulletin
November 23, 2009
November 20th marked the Forza Vitale’s, formerly OMA’s newsletter, debut as a bi-weekly e-bulletin.
Our objective is to provide members with a short and inspiring bit of writing using the collective wisdom of our members. The e-bulletin format lends itself to being easy to forward to others and shared on social networking sites and school members web sites. We see the new Forza format as a valuable marketing tools for our members, as well as being informative to our membership.
Each issue of the Forza will be saved in two ways: 1. Under the "Parents and Families" section of the OMA web site under "Newsletter Archive", and 2. Under "Members Only" in the Forza Vitale section.
Each article in the "Members Only" section will be saved as a downloadble pdf version for members to easily print off as a resource to give to families and staff.
Missed the November 20th issue?
Read it here.
If you have an article you’d like to share for inclusion in the Forza Vitale, please e-mail Maren Schmidt at maren_schmidt@me.com.
Next issue is scheduled for Friday, December 4, with 26 issues a year.
We're on Facebook!
November 15, 2009
Come check out OMA’s new Facebook Page! If you have a Facebook profile, become a fan, see the latest updates, and connect with fellow Montessorians!
To view our page: Login to your Facebook profile, then search for "Oregon Montessori Association". You can still see the page if you don’t have a Facebook profile, you just won’t be able to post comments.
OMA Schools Offer January Open House
November 12, 2009
During the week of January 23 to 30, 2010 Oregon Montessori Association member schools in Oregon and Southwest Washington will be hosting Open Houses at scheduled times throughout the week.
We’ll have a listing of participating schools with the dates and times for their events.
Check here in January to find a participating school near you.
Teachers--Need a Mentor?
November 11, 2009
You might be interested in a new program called Ask a Mentor.
From mtips.org
Once the Montessori training is completed, the steep learning curve of real classroom instruction begins. This is a critical time in the life of the teacher. The best source of learning at that point is mentorship. This service can’t replace the benefit of a class visit by a mentor, but many questions can be answered.
This Weekly On-Line Q and A session is designed to give teachers direct and consistent access to experienced practitioners.
Participants log on to website and submit questions. Questions are selected by the teacher/moderator. Questions and answers are posted for all to read in real time with some allowance for follow-up questions as well. Ask a Mentor is offered for the following programs: Toddler Community, Primary, AYM, and Elementary.
Some Practical Guidelines to Consider when Joining Ask a Mentor
Each chat room is limited to 25 users per session.
Chat rooms are open only during the moderated sessions. Questions cannot be submitted at any other time.
All sessions are moderated by experienced practitioners with AMI training.
Once questions are submitted, they will remain in a queue until the moderator posts them to the board.
Follow-up questions can be submitted but must be sent quickly so that the moderator does not move on to another question.
Only questions related to the class level designated by room will be answered.
Levels being served are Toddler Community/Parent Infant, Primary, All Year (All Day) Montessori, and Elementary.
Schedule can be found on the Ask a Mentor page at mtips.org.
Live chat sessions are scheduled for Central Standard Time(CST).
For more information go to http://mtips.org/mentor.html
Our understanding is that Ask a Mentor is open to all Montessori teachers.
Online Resource for Elementary Guides
August 12, 2009
Check out a new website of stories for the elementary classroom, Upper El Stories. This is a great resource for guides looking for stories in history, biology, geography, and more…and the best part is that you can also post your own stories! The more people post, the richer a resource this site will be.
Stephanie writes:
"As Montessori teachers, we are encouraged to develop our art of storytelling. As a new teacher, I was overwhelmed by the amount of history, geography, geometry and cultural stories that I needed to tell, and often wished I could collaborate with other upper elementary teachers. During a brainstorm with another colleague, we decided we would start to post our stories online and invite others to share their knowledge with us. We hope that you use this site, add to it, and share it with your teaching friends. Pass the word on…"
OMA Launches GoogleGroup for Administrators
February 24, 2009
The OMA Administrators Group has long been an important resource in our community. We are pleased to announce that we have formed a GoogleGroup for administrators. This is a place for administrators to post questions and share resources that are relevant to the Montessori community in the Pacific Northwest.
If you are interested in joining, please visit the group’s website to receive an invitation to join!
For further information, please contact the OMA