Students gently place a hand on their guide's shoulder to let them know they would like their guide's attention when he or she is available. This Saturday, Molly Henry will be hosting an Intro to Positive Discipline workshop. If you haven't had the opportunity to participate, or if you would enjoy a little refresher, please go to the Abintra website to register for the class. Positive Discipline is a defining part of your child's education at Abintra. We wanted to share a few of the most successful strategies we use with early childhood students. This developmental period is often challenging for parents, and we receive many questions about power struggles, difficulties with verbal directions, and noncompliance. If you are observing challenging behavior at home, we urge you to attend one of Molly's classes so that you can learn a variety of tools that will support you, and your child, during this stage of life. Here are three of our

Early Childhood  will explore different techniques in art this year by using various mediums and tools.  Here they explored stamping using various objects.  Early Childhood  began the Montessori Bells curriculum with our artist-in-residence Kari. The Montessori Bells help students distinguish between different levels of pitch, tone, and volume. The students will broaden their music experience throughout the year. Lower Elementary  artists made their own portfolios and sketchbooks this year. They decorated them by creating a collage on the front and back cover.   They will use these sketchbooks at the beginning of each class throughout the year. Lower Elementary  artists are learning about the elements of design:  color, shape, line space, form, and texture.  They started this study with a mosaic project that exhibits all the elements.  The students practiced mosaic making by constructing them out of foam.  Next they will create stepping stone mosaics with stone

An integral and unique part of the Lower Elementary curriculum is the introduction of The Great Lessons. These exciting lessons are designed to ignite a child's imagination and curiosity about the world around them. There are five Great Lessons that are presented every year. The Great Lessons paint a broad picture. Students climbed into the darkened loft to cosmic music for the story of the coming of the universe and the beginnings of Earth, the First Great Lesson. This represented an empty space before existence. Together the guides told the story which was illustrated with the bursting of a black balloon filled with gold stars. The lesson continued with the beginning of our planet. Oil,  water, and molasses poured into a jar helped demonstrate how particles  of different weight settled into layers of Earth. Over millions of years, as the surface cooled, a crust formed and under this crust was red, hot, boiling molten rock. A baking soda and vinegar volcano demon

September Spanish News - By Maria Asunci ón Myers, Elementary Spanish Guide T.P.R.S.  (Teaching Proficiency Through Reading And Storytelling) This summer, I attended the N.T.P.R.S. 2015  (National Conference on Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling). It was exhilarating. I enjoyed conversations with teachers and presenters that I had know only through the internet or by fame and was eager to meet in person. I took classes in six different languages and experienced how students feel when I teach them Spanish. This year’s presenters came from 12 different countries! T.P.R.S. is a method of second-language teaching that uses highly interactive stories to provide comprehensible input and create immersion in the classroom. Lower Elementary students love to practice T.P.R. (Total Physical Response). Lower Elementary  through  Middle School  Practice "Brain Break" The purpose of Brain Break is for students to practice "Yo so y"

Our early childhood program emphasizes independence. Mealtimes are a big part of this learning process. We get many questions about lunches during the first few weeks of school, so here are answers to the most common questions we receive from the community.   The only thing that you need to pack in your child's lunch is food. Dishes, glasses, utensils, and napkins are provided in each classroom. At lunch, all of the students place their lunchboxes on the floor and their food onto plates. Food sent in squeeze bottles or drinkable tubes are emptied into bowls so that children are given every opportunity to practice feeding themselves with utensils.   Please pack food in small reusable containers. Try to match the size of containers to the size of your child's palm. You can find these at larger chain stores or online.   Containers with pull-off lids are challenging. Without a large lip or tab, children are rarely successful. Lunchblox containers, by R