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Come together with other parents for coffee and friendly conversation. This month's topic is how to use basic Montessori principles at home to resolve and even avoid conflicts with your children by fostering their independence. Heather Harvey is the presenter. Please REGISTER HERE or in the office.
You are your child's first and most influential teacher.You set the tone for your child's love of learning from the very start and it is you who bridges the gap between school and home. But how do you begin to create a "Montessori" environment in your home? We can help!
Join us for "Bringing Montessori Home: A Parent Development Course on Practical Life" on Wednesday, January 27th from 6:00-8:00 pm. Our teachers will demonstrate activities you can use to prepare your home environment to nurture your child's independence. From getting dressed in the morning, to preparing lunch or snack, to cleaning up and putting away toys - you will get hands-on presentations to help you help your child to "do it myself."
Everyone who attends will also receive:
Soon your child will be pouring his own juice, chopping his own vegetables, and cleaning up his spills while you marvel at the confident and independent individual he has become!
This event is open to the public but registration is required and limited to the first 40 families to sign up. There is a $20 supply fee per family for the take-home materials.There will be NO CHILDCARE offered for this adults-only event. Please register today online. Deadline to register is January 20th. REGISTER HERE or in the office.
Cooper the cat doesn't mind the post-holiday mess.
Is your house a mess? Mine is.
Even though my youngest daughter is 20 years old, my post-Christmas house looks no different than it did 15 years ago when she and her sister had lots of toys. Now, we no longer have Barbie dolls and Lego pieces lying about, but we have plenty of grown-up projects waiting to be finished over our remaining vacation days.
Sorting through all of this stuff today got me thinking about how difficult it can be to share space with others without resenting the mess those "others" leave behind. I want my daughters to be able to work together on the puzzle they picked out, and I'm happy they still (mostly) enjoy each other's company, but I don't want the puzzle to still be on the kitchen table next week.
Now that my girls are grown up they are able to respect and care for the spaces we all share. I know that puzzle will be put away before I have to ask, but when they were little it was a different story. I was constantly nagging them to clean up. And the need to nag them really frustrated me. Perhaps you can relate? The most common question parents have after observing their children in our Montessori classrooms is, "I see she puts everything away when she's done using it at school. Why doesn't she do that at home?"
Children put their work away in a Montessori classroom because everything in the classroom is designed to make that an easy thing to do. For example, lockers are child-sized so the children don't need help hanging up their coats. The daily schedule is consistent, so the children are not surprised when it's time to put their work away. And, when a child's work is very important to her and she cannot finish it all today, she puts her name tag on it to remind everyone that she will be working on it first thing tomorrow morning. Also, the guidelines for the classroom are the same every day and everyone follows them (eventually) so cleaning up is just a normal part of the day.
A nametag on a child's unfinished activity shows ownership and that the child's work is valued.
If you would like to learn how to use these and other Montessori practices at home, please join us for the upcoming "Bringing Montessori Home Parent Development Course on Practical Life" on Wednesday, January 27th from 6 to 8pm. This event is open to the public so you can invite your friends and you can follow the link above to sign up online. Learn how to improve household organization by creating child-friendly spaces and nurturing your child's independence in the areas of self-care and food preparation.
Ian vacuming.
In the meantime, check out these articles that offer alternatives to nagging kids to clean up. In "Here's an Idea...Don't Clean Up!" Rachel Cedar invites us to look at a child's play as his work, much as we do in our classrooms.
In "Why I Stopped Asking My Kids to Clean Up," this mom describes what happened when she stopped resenting clean-up time and allowed her kids to follow her lead.
Finally, Sandra Gordon offers sound advice for teaching children to take on different household tasks based on their age and level of ability in this post for The Children's Trust.
Do you have ideas to share about living with and cleaning up after your family? Please share them in the comments below!
~ Heather
An MSGL preprimary student prepares carrots at home using a chopper and cutting board of her own.
Dozens of MSGL students are enjoying increased independence at home thanks to the "Bringing Montessori Home" parent development night held January 21, 2015. Thirty parents and grandparents attended the 1 ½ hour event that offered live demonstrations of Montessori-inspired activities children can do at home as well as hands-on activities, and an introduction to the Montessori philosophy.
Small groups of parents rotated through three different classrooms to observe and take part in presentations. Dena Saunders and Emily Frazier presented Care of Self and Care of the Environment. Getting dressed, caring for plants and pets, and cleaning up spills were some of the topics covered. Dena elicited "oohs and aahs" from one group when she demonstrated how to use masking tape to make a square on the floor so a child can easily sweep spills into a dust pan.
Angie Shamo and Machelle French demonstrated how to put together a few simple art activities on a shelf at home for when a child wants to work creatively and independently. The cutting strips, which consist of thin, sturdy paper strips on a tray with a pair of scissors, allow the child to practice cutting safely and successfully. Another suggestion was to offer just three colors of watercolor paints at a time - in the beginning - so a child can successfully create a painting without all of the colors mixing into brown. Families were also given the school's popular recipe for making play dough at home.
Many parents tried their hands at peeling and chopping carrots and peeling clementines in the food preparation class led by Anita Trent and Ana Ramirez. Each activity was arranged as it could be in the home, including child-sized tools. Hand-washing and serving etiquette were also discussed as these are important aspects of food preparation for young children. While one parent offered sliced carrots to the group, Anita said, "Imagine how it feels for your child to serve you just like you have always served your child."
After the presentations, many parents said they were excited to try these activities at home with their children. They also felt that some of the things their children were already doing at home, such as preparing a salad and feeding the fish, meshed nicely with the Montessori philosophy.
Each family received a selection of child-sized items to use at home.
Each family in attendance received a materials bag containing a child-sized vegetable peeler and chopper, a small pitcher, a dust pan set, cutting strips and scissors, child-sized sponge and towel, and a hook to hang the child's coat or book bag at a level where she can reach it. Families also received a custom-made photo book - created by the teachers - that reviews materials covered in the presentations as well as offering additional ideas and resources.
Materials bags and books are still available for purchase in the office for $10.
Thank you to everyone who attended! MSGL plans to offer "Bringing Montessori Home" again next year and will include new activities and take-home materials.
Miss Emily tries out a science experiment during the Teachers' Silent Journey and Discovery.
Have you ever wished you could experience Montessori through a child's eyes? We would like to offer you the next best thing. Please join us on Monday, September 22nd from 6:00 - 7:30 pm on the MSGL campus for the Montessori Silent Journey and Discovery. This is your opportunity to see the classrooms as your children do and to use the same materials they use to develop their bodies, minds, and spirits.
The Montessori Silent Journey and Discovery will take you on two guided tours of the school, starting as an infant and progressing through the Toddler, Preprimary, Extended Day, and Elementary classes. The first tour is silent. Your tour group will spend 5 minutes in each room looking at - but not touching - the classroom environment and the various materials. After the first tour, your guide will once again take you to each of the classrooms, but this tour will be the Discovery portion when you can use the materials, ask questions of the guides and teachers, and take part in the teachers' presentations. We will wrap up the Montessori Silent Journey and Discovery by gathering together for refreshments and discussion afterwards.
Miss Stacie presents the Squaring Chains.
We are very excited to offer this new parent education event and we highly recommend it for all new families and anyone who would like a hands-on experience in our Montessori classrooms. This is also a nice tour for grandparents and caregivers. The teachers practiced the Silent Journey and Discovery in August and really enjoyed the experience. You can read about one parent's experience with a Montessori Silent Journey and Discovery on the I Heart Montessori blog.
Childcare is available for children ages 2 and older who are currently attending MSGL or familiar with MSGL. All of our teachers will be on hand for this special evening and we look forward to seeing you there, too!
Please register for this fun event and sign up for childcare in the office or by phone by this Friday, September 19th.
A child explores the knobbed cylinders.
"Gradually the children begin to concentrate. One day one child, another day two or three children. After they have concentrated the children are different. They become detached and work for themselves. The disorderly children begin to love order. They all become so orderly that disorder is an extraordinary thing." - Maria Montessori, The Child, Society, and the World
"Gradually the children begin to concentrate. One day one child, another day two or three children. After they have concentrated the children are different. They become detached and work for themselves. The disorderly children begin to love order. They all become so orderly that disorder is an extraordinary thing." - Maria Montessori, The Child, Society, and the World
"Normalized" is the word Maria Montessori coined to describe children in their natural state. She believed that a "normal" child is one who is able to focus on activities that interest him and, through these experiences, he constructs his personality. A normalized classroom is one in which the children interact peacefully while exploring activities that introduce them to the world. Montessori described a normalized classroom this way,
"A room in which all the children move about usefully, intelligently, and voluntarily, without commiting any rough or rude act, would seem to be a classroom very well disciplined indeed." - The Montessori Method.
"A room in which all the children move about usefully, intelligently, and voluntarily, without commiting any rough or rude act, would seem to be a classroom very well disciplined indeed." - The Montessori Method.
At the beginning of the year, Montessori Toddler and Preprimary classrooms are far from normalized. Some children shout, wander the room, and maybe even throw objects or dump materials on the floor. There is crying and spilling. Messes are made and not cleaned up. Disagreements arise. Those first few weeks can be wild, indeed! In traditional educational methods, teachers might respond to these behaviors with reprimands and punishments. In Montessori classrooms, the teachers respond with redirection to purposeful work.
For example, when a new three-year-old is wandering the room and disturbing the work of others, a teacher will take him by the hand and present a new material to him. If he has shown an interest in counting then we might present the Hanging Bead Stair. When this work is completed, we assist him in finding another activity that calls to him.
While polishing the sailboat, a child tunes out everythiing else around him.
Whatever the activity the child is redirected to, the aim is always the same: to develop concentration. Concentration is the key to a child's natural development and all learning takes place in a state of concentration. We can think of ourselves in our adult lives to get a better understanding. When you need to study for your GRE exam, what do you do? Do you head to a busy shopping mall to work on your laptop in the food court with your friends, or do you choose a quiet place? If you need to paint a room in your home, do you do it in the afternoon when the children are busy around your feet or do you save it for those glorious, quiet mornings when they are at school? Adults relish those moments when they can concentrate and really focus on their work without interruption. Children also relish those moments, but they must first know what concentration feels like.
This is what a Montessori classroom does: it provides an environment where children are free to concentrate - without interruption - on work that is essential to their development. A child who is excited and distracted by all the activity around him will transform into a peaceful, thoughtful individual when he is able to concentrate on a work he enjoys. Because concentrating and being in control of his body feels better than thrashing around wildly and causing mayhem, he continues to seek out other activities that allow him to feel this way.
Since concentration is the ultimate goal of every activity in our classroom, we are reverent of it when it appears and we do not interrupt it for any reason. If all learning occurs during a state of concentration, it would be illogical to interrupt a child's concentration in an attempt to "teach" her something. Corrections, points of interest, fixing a lock of hair that has fallen over her eye, picking up the pencil that rolled off the table, reminding her to wash her forgotten snack plate - we must do none of these things. In fact, when a child begins to concentrate on an activity, our job is to quietly step away and behave as though we are not in the room.
"The great principle which brings success to the teacher is this: as soon as concentration has begun, act as if the child does not exist. Naturally, one can see what he is doing with a quick glance, but without his being aware of it." - Maria Montessori, The Absorbent Mind
"The great principle which brings success to the teacher is this: as soon as concentration has begun, act as if the child does not exist. Naturally, one can see what he is doing with a quick glance, but without his being aware of it." - Maria Montessori, The Absorbent Mind
Dressing the baby doll and fastening its clothes requires great concentration. Some children choose this activity nearly every day.
Eventually, in a few weeks or even months, the classroom has been transformed from a noisy, chaotic scene into a peaceful, happy place to learn and play. We have seen this transformation begin in our classrooms. The children are beginning to put their belongings in their lockers and walk quietly into their classrooms. They greet their friends warmly, but not loudly. They choose work, complete the work, and put it away when they are finished. They choose to work with a friend or by themselves. They tap us on the shoulder when they have a question. They pour their own water for snack and wash their dishes when finished. They use the toilet without assistance (although assistance is always available.) They are also preparing to read, write, and count to 1000 - but when you are a young child, those accomplishments are of secondary importance compared to the ability to control one's body and interact peacefully with friends.
Your children always benefit from opportunities to concentrate on an activity. You can provide these opportunities at home by providing space and, most importantly, time for them to focus on just one thing. Maybe painting with watercolors, washing the breakfast dishes, watering the plants outside, looking at the spider web by the front door - let her look and explore for as long as she wishes. Be available to answer questions, but don't obey your urge to jump in and explain everything you've ever heard about spiders or tell her all about color theory. Let her concentrate and formulate her own ideas and questions. When her curiosity is satisfied and she is ready to turn her attention elsewhere, you may notice that she looks refreshed and relaxed. This is a sign that she is learning and making new connections in her brain! Dr. Montessori observed that, "The child who concentrates is immensely happy."
Do you have a story about concentration from your life or your child's life you would like to share in the comments below? We would love to hear about it.
May you find yourself concentrating and immensely happy in the week ahead. Thanks for reading.
~ Heather
Grace's first day of Montessori preschool, 1997.
Last summer, my 19-year-old daughter was getting ready to move into her first apartment. I was excited for her to have the chance to live on her own and had been setting aside household items that I thought she could use. One day, after admiring the "steal" of a chair I had found at Goodwill, she asked me, "Aren't you sad that I won't live here anymore?"
"Well, honey," I said, "I always imagined that you would grow up and move out of the house. That was our goal all along for you to be an independent, self-sufficient person."
"I know," she said. "But I'm kind of sad that I won't be sleeping here anymore."
I reminded her that she had hardly slept at home at all since she started college last year. She lived in the dorm, four hours away from home and we often didn't hear from her for days.
"Yeah, but this is different. I just can't believe this won't be my home address anymore. Are you going to change the garage door code?"
A-ha! Then I figured it out. She was worried about cutting the cord from the house where she grew up. I had been concerning myself with making sure she was comfortable "out there" and she was worried she would no longer be welcome back at home.
It occurred to me that not much has changed between that day and the day sixteen years ago when we were preparing to send her to preschool here at the Montessori School of Greater Lafayette. Back then we were so excited to help our "baby" pick out a new lunch box and indoor shoes but we had little idea what to do to help prepare her (or ourselves) emotionally for this new chapter. She sailed through preschool and is now working through nursing school just fine, but we have learned a lot since then. Today I am sharing some tips and advice gathered from teachers and parents here at MSGL to help you and your child prepare for the first days of preschool.
Talk about school - mindfully.
Talk with your child about preschool when he is in the mood. Maybe he will bring it up or you can start the conversation, just don't push too hard. If your child seems "done" with the conversation or is becoming anxious, let the topic drop until later. And be honest about your feelings when you do talk about school. Some children worry that their parents will be sad or lonely when they are gone. When you say, "I am going to miss being with you in the morning, but it makes me happy to know you will be enjoying yourself at school," it lets him know that you will miss him but you are confident that school is a good place for him to be.
Check out the new environment.
MSGL's Parent Work Day is Saturday, August 16th. This is a great time to get familiar with the school and classroom environments and to be part of the school community. Children are encouraged to help clean lockers, pull weeds, and load and unload wheelbarrows full of mulch right alongside their parents and new classmates. And, each family member's time counts towards your volunteer hours requirement.
You will have another opportunity to get familiar with the school when your child attends her New Student Orientation visit on Monday, August 18th. This is her first opportunity to see her teachers and classmates in her new classroom. She can put her indoor shoes in her locker, locate her cubby and extra clothes box, and see where the bathroom is. The whole family can attend the Parent Orientation later that evening and maybe your child can give a tour of her new classroom.
Make new friends.
You will receive a class list via email in August. Consider contacting a few families on the list to set up a playdate before school starts. Even if you can't get together with any other families, you and your child can look over the names on the list together. You may discover that one of his classmates lives on your street or maybe someone has the same name as a sibling or a friend.
Help her dress for success.
Our Montessori classrooms are prepared to encourage your child's independence and you can help by providing your child with shoes and clothing that she can put on and take off by herself. Belts, suspenders, and jumpsuits look smart but they can be difficult for your child to use successfully. Provide your child a choice of clothing that allows her complete independence in her self-care routines. And please remember that preschool is a time to jump in and explore. Paint, snack, sand, and dirt from the garden can stain your child's clothing, so please send her to school in clothes that can stand to get dirty.
Plan a morning routine.
Now is a good time to do a mental run-through of your morning routine. Consider how much time your child needs to wake up, get dressed, and eat breakfast. Allow time for packing lunches, finding coats and shoes, and getting on the bike or in the car. Then add a few extra minutes. Parents and children who are not in a rush tend to have much better experiences at drop-off. Some families even do a few "practice runs" in the summer to see if they can get to school and work on time.
Create a goodbye routine.
Discuss with your child how you each want to say goodbye at drop-off. Some families say, "After you put on your inside shoes and put away your lunch box, we will walk to the classroom and I will give you three hugs and two kisses before I go to work." Some children like to wave to dad out the window and some parents leave their children with specific plans for what they will do after school. "Sonia is picking you up today" or "we are going to the Farmer's Market on our bikes after school today." Children have so little control over their daily lives that they appreciate at least knowing what is happening and when.
And while we're talking about goodbyes, let's take just a moment to consider the specter of separation anxiety.
What if my child cries when I walk away?
Separating from your child that first time can be heart-breaking, but remember - it's only for a few moments. The majority of children who are sad when they separate from their parents are able to calm themselves and choose an activity within a few minutes. If you have gone through the goodbye routine and are finding it hard to turn around and walk away, ask your teacher for help. Sometimes parents say, "Please help me. I need to leave." That is the teacher's sign that she needs to hold your child's hand or pick her up so that you can walk away. Teachers don't want to step in before you are ready to go but they are happy to help when you ask them.
The best thing you can do for your child at drop-off is to be consistent and walk away when you say you will. Lingering tends to just prolong the heartache for the parent and the child. The first few times you drop your child off may be difficult, but trust that with consistent repetition you and your child will develop a peaceful good-bye routine.
Talk with the teachers.
Talk with your child's teachers about how the adjustment period is going. The teachers help dozens of children adjust to school every year but this may be your first time. They expect you will have questions and concerns. Email is a great way to communicate with your child's teachers and all of the contact information is available on the classroom web page at Msgl.org.
Help your child talk about his day.
If this is the first time your child has been away from home you will no doubt be very eager to know what he did all day. Unfortunately, preschoolers often say they "did nothing" or "just played." A lot of things happened between the time you dropped him off that morning and when you picked him up several hours later, but he might not yet be able to give a sequential list of his activities. Here are some ideas to help your child tell you about his day.
Take care of yourself!
The best thing you can do during these last few weeks of summer is to give you and your child the gift of a regular bedtime that allows enough sleep to wake up refreshed and ready for the big days ahead. Fill up with a good breakfast each morning and be extra patient with your child and especially with yourself. Parenting preschoolers, like college students, is hard work and there is no right way to do it. Follow your heart and follow your child, and in sixteen years, or so, you will be very proud of the people you have both become.
What did your child do at preschool today? You can try asking, but often they will say they did nothing or they "played." The most common question I receive from parents is, "How can I know he is doing anything at school? He never tells me anything and his cubby has been empty for days."
Please believe me, your child is doing something. A lot of stuff, actually. But he may not remember "doing" anything at all that day. And his accomplishments often cannot be held in the hand or seen with the eye at pick-up time. If he could tell you, it might sound like this:
I concentrated today!
When someone asked to play with me, I said yes.
I looked at the caterpillars in the jar - for a very long time. Then my teacher read me a book about butterflies. Twice. Because I asked.
I sat next to a friend who was labeling the lifecycle of the frog. I handed her the labels and helped her match them. I got her a paper towel when her fingers were gluey.
When everyone was talking about bees I told them, "Bumblebees don't sting. Only honey bees sting. Bumblebees just bumble." Everyone agreed with me.
I looked at a real chicken egg and a real duck egg. I said the duck egg was bigger.
I used the very heavy tortilla press to make playdough tortillas. My friends helped and we laughed. None of us pinched our fingers.
I compromised about sitting in the comfy chair.
I served myself a snack, ate it politely alongside my friends, and cleaned up after myself.
I felt sad - just for a little bit - because I missed my mom.
I noticed that the lizard's food bowl was empty and cut some lettuce for him.
I waited for a turn on the orange bike.
I heard that a friend is going to Korea for the summer and I gave him a hug to say goodbye.
A preschooler's greatest and most important work often doesn't have any external product to show for it. Having and being a friend, acting out of kindness, demonstrating patience and self-control, taking care of oneself, feeling satisfied with a job well done - these things are all internalized. The children in our classrooms build their character and their understanding of the world every day, but they can't always verbalize it. They are doing so much challenging work! But they do not yet see their actions and successes as separate from themselves.
After a sunflower seed sprouts in the garden we might notice as the stem grows taller, but we cannot see the acts of photosynthesis and respiration and transpiration that take place every single day. The sunflower plant continues to do its work converting sunlight to sugars and sugars to fuel - the internal work of living - whether we take notice or not. Then, one day it blooms and we look at it and say, "Finally!"
Maria Montessori believed that the child reveals himself through his work, not through his outwardly visible successes and accomplishments. Every experience he has is internalized and becomes a part of his very being. She put it this way, "The things he sees are not just remembered; they form a part of his soul."
Stories from their day and recorded work, like the blooms of a sunflower, are parts of the child we can see and they might be pleasing to us, but they are only the product of a monumental amount of internal work. So please don't worry when your child says she did nothing all day. Nothing to grown-ups can be everything in the life of a child.
Lots of peace, lots of love ~ Heather
Photo courtesy of Lena Atkinson
What is Montessori?
Rather than explaining what Montessori is, I am offering an excerpt from an article that does a beautiful job of describing what Montessorians do. Maria Montessori's Decalogue is a set of 10 rules for adults working in a Montessori classroom. It is relevant to parents, grandparents, and caregivers of all types who strive to relate to children peacefully and respectfully in any environment.
I hope you will enjoy this expanded version of the Montessori Decalogue as written by The Mammolina Children's Home Montessori Kindergarten in Beijing, China.
The Montessori Decalogue
1. Never touch the child unless invited by him (in some way or another).
Unless there is a very strong reason to (like avoiding an accident, for example), one should never touch a child unless a child requests it. Picking up a child without the child's consent, even if in a playful manner, or grabbing her hand, pushing her, etc., should always be avoided. If children are engaged, looking at a book, working, playing, resting, the same principle applies. Children invite contact in many ways, and parents and adults in general, who work with children, know how to interpret the signs they send. It is important also to respect a child when she is angry and does not want to be touched or picked up.
2. Never speak ill of the child in his presence or absence.
Speaking ill of a child, or making negative comments about a child, either in the child's presence or absence, denotes lack of respect for the child. It also sets a frame of mind and denotes an attitude that is negative and conducive to confrontation—and not always open! Preconceived ideas often linger as negative thoughts and breed reactive behavior. If an adult falls into this trap, it is very easy for a lack of patience and negative attitudes to creep in and damage the relationship with the child.
3. Concentrate on strengthening and helping the development of what is good in the child, so that its presence may leave less and less space for what is negative.
If adults focus on negative behavior, children will feel inadequate. This will result in low self-esteem, and a self-fulfilling prophecy like behavioral patterns will take over. Negativity will become second nature. Instead, by focusing on what is positive, the child will feel safe and confident. Children are learning what is and is not acceptable behavior can and cannot be done, etc. They do not need punishments or rewards. Simply to be shown what is and is not acceptable, by adults that model appropriate behavior.
4. Be proactive in preparing the environment, take meticulous and constant care of it. Help the child establish constructive relations with it. Show the proper place where the means of development are kept and demonstrate their proper use.
If the child is presented with a prepared environment, there is little need for much more. Again, modeling appropriate behavior is essential. A child that is shown an orderly environment will likewise feel encouraged to keep it orderly. If a child has available manipulatives she can handle, play and work with, rather than things she cannot touch, she will feel at ease to explore the world around her. If objects are at reach, that the child may break or hurt herself with, she should be shown how to handle them, rather than told "don't touch!" A kitchen is a world full of wonder for a child! Cutting, cooking, stirring, pouring, etc., are all activities the child will want—and need!—to master in order to become independent. Include the child in as many activities as possible at home, from cleaning to cooking; there is enough to keep any child busy and engaged all day long.
5. Be ever ready to answer the call of the child who stands in need of you, and always listen and respond to the child who appeals to you.
There is nothing worse for a child than to feel insecure and ignored. Abandonment is a feeling no child should have to live with. "If a child asks for attention, then that child needs attention," stressed Montessorian Margaret Homfray. When people brush a child aside and say, "she just wants attention," that person is missing the point: a child only wants attention when she needs attention. Children who feel cared for and do not have to worry about being abandoned, even if for a short time, are far more likely to care for others and show concern for and trust others, than those who experience this sort of "cold shoulder" treatment. Also, "timeout" and "go to your room and stay there" approaches are also expressions of abandonment.
6. Respect the child who makes a mistake and can then or later correct it herself, but stop firmly and immediately any misuse of the environment and any action which endangers the child, its own development or that of others.
Avoid rushing to correct mistakes a child has committed. Children are learning to cope and function. They will persist and practice to their heart's content whatever skill they need to acquire, until they master it. If a child starts throwing things around and disrespecting the environment, by all means, stop her. Yet, explain why you had to stop her. Reason and listen to what the child may have to say. Maria Montessori said that "a child's first tantrums are the first ills of her soul." There is always a reason for everything. Try to bring the reason to light. Punishing, isolating the child, etc., will only feed her pain, and burry deep those reasons—she will learn to hide rather than communicate.
7. Respect the child who takes a rest or watches others working or ponders over what she herself has done or will do. Neither call her nor force her to other forms of activity.
A child that is idle is often not idle at all… Children need to be given space to find what it is they are interested in and want to do. Once they do, they pursue their interests with unrestrained passion and perseverance! A child that is observing other children or adults is also learning. If the child is resting, she is not being lazy and doing nothing just lying there—she is most probably processing information, observing, reflecting on something she did, or saw, or is planning on doing.
8. Help those who are in search of activity and cannot find it.
Be sensitive to the needs of the child including differentiating when apparent inactivity is inner activity, or in contrast, a child is simply lost. A child in search of activity and unable to find it is usually restless. If sitting or lying down, it can be noticed that she is not "engaged;" she is not resting, but simply lost and prostrated. There is a thin line that separates these two worlds. It is the adult's responsibility to observe carefully and find out the signs—often very different from child to child—that can reveal what the child is experiencing. Abandonment differs from rest and contemplation.
9. Be untiring in repeating presentations to the child who refused them earlier, in helping the child to acquire what is not yet her own and to overcome imperfections. Do this by animating the environment, with care, with purposive restraint and silence, with mild words and loving presence. Make your ready presence felt to the child who searches and hide from the child who has found.
A child may need to be shown the right way to do something, say a word, express her feelings or acquire any sort of new skill, many, many times. One should never grow tired of repeating it, such as reading the same bedtime story or singing the same jingle. Children seek perfection in all they do until they reach a level which meets their needs (not what the adult may think "perfect" is, or means.) To be always available but not intrusive is an art. When a child needs help, she will ask for it. When a skill has been acquired and the child no longer needs assistance, adults should respect the child's new acquired or reached level of independence.
10. Always treat the child with the best of good manners and offer her the best you have in yourself and at your disposal.
Children who are respected will learn to respect others. Giving the child the best one has to give helps the child learn that you are someone she can count on, and teaches her to also give others the best she has to give. It is important the way Montessori puts it, "the best you have in yourself," as if to say, always reach higher, but do not feel dismayed if you fall short, and "the best" that you can give is not the best you think or know you should give. If your best manners are not always what they should be—a common feeling parents harbor when children seem to be pushing their patience beyond the limits, do not lose heart. The way Dr. Montessori put it, is basically this: have realistic expectations towards the child, and yourself too. Give the best you have to give, but don't feel guilty if you fall short. Simply keep striving to improve and always do your best. If you commit a mistake, giving the child your best may well be recognizing it and apologizing. "Amy, Mommy got upset and shouted. That was not nice of me. I am sorry." Children also need to recognize mistakes, learn to apologize, and that parents are not always perfect.
These are basic principles. What Montessori strives for is to protect the child from all sorts of negative influences that can create deviations in the child's spirit and psyche. To preserve the natural curiosity of the child, help her find her interests, protect her passion for learning, foster it and let it grow in a healthy way. In this way, the child can contribute her best to society. This is conducive to world peace, as Dr. Montessori envisioned it, and Montessorians believe is possible. It takes passion, it takes commitment, and it takes working together.
- Excerpted from Montessori: Committed People with a Passion for Children by the Mammolina Children's Home Montessori Kindergarten in Beijing, China.
The s-word is in our forecast this week. I don't know anyone who is happy about the October SNOW except for my allergy-suffering friends. With the snow come cold temperatures and at MSGL we play outside year-round, so it's important for children to have warm and practical clothing to wear every day. For the past 12 years I greeted the children on the playground at 8:30 am, snow or shine. To help you prepare for this week and the next six months (it hurts me to say that), I have compiled for you:
Miss Heather's Top 10 List for Child Comfort and Parent Happiness: Winter Edition
1. Check the forecast. Every class - Toddler through Elementary - goes outside when the temperature is 20 degrees Fahrenheit or above. Check the weather forecast each day before leaving the house to make sure your child will have the appropriate cold-weather gear for that day.
2. Go with the low. Consider the time of day your child will be outside. The forecast may call for a high temp. of 63 degrees, but the temperature at 8:30 am might only be in the 40's. Some classes start outside, some go out at 10:15, some at 11:00. The afternoon and Elementary classes go out at varying times throughout the week. Provide clothing for the day's low temperature and your child should be well-prepared.
3. Layer, layer, layer. Imagine your child as a cute, rosy-cheeked onion and help her dress in layers. Being hot and sweaty outside in the cold is just as uncomfortable as shivering. If your child can take off a sweater or push back her hood and unzip her coat, she will be able to regulate her body temperature and still enjoy the time outside.
4. Listen to your child. Trust your child to make decisions about his comfort. The only way we can learn if we are too cold is if we are allowed to feel the cold. If your child doesn't want to wear his gloves, don't sweat it. Make sure he knows his gloves are in his locker and that he can go get them if he gets cold. The same goes for his snow pants and his bulky winter coat. An active child dressed in layers with warm shoes and a hat can generally enjoy himself outside without danger of getting too cold, even in winter. If your child is listening to his body instead of chafing under a "mitten mandate" he is more likely to develop a true sense of how to dress for the weather. My friend "Z" always told his dad he didn't want to wear his coat or his snow pants or his gloves, but 10 minutes after dad left, Z would ask to go get them.
5. Start a discussion. Talk with your child about the day's weather and how to dress. Remember that the ultimate goals are safety and independence. You might say something like, "It's 30 degrees Fahrenheit. You definitely need to wear something on your hands, but you can choose if you wear your Spiderman gloves or the mittens Grandma made for you." Or try, "It's going to be 45 degrees when you go outside today. What should you pack for school?" Young children can learn to speak three languages at once. They can also learn to make clothing choices based on the outdoor temperature.
6. Get a move-on. Remember that your child is most likely playing actively outside. We might feel very cold walking from the car to the school door in a suit or a skirt and heels, but a child riding a balance bike for 10 minutes heats up very quickly.
7. Consider cold pants. Snow pants or snow suits are essential when there is snow on the ground, but some children (and some preschool teachers) like to wear them as soon as they can see their breath outside. Think of them as "cold pants" and let your child keep them in his locker from October through April.
8. Label everything. Speaking of lockers, our lockers are small. When two children share a locker it's nearly impossible to fit snow pants, coats, book bags and lunch boxes inside. PLEASE make sure every article of clothing you send to school has your child's name or your family's last name written on it where it's easy to read. All black snow pants and all Spiderman gloves look the same when there are 24 children getting dressed in the hallway. If you forget, your child's teacher will be happy to loan you a Sharpie and some masking tape.
9. Embrace the terrific outdoors. Spending time outdoors is important for everyone's health and well-being. We do not have a gym and children may not stay inside by themselves. If your child is recovering from an illness and you don't want her to be outside, please make arrangements to drop her off late or pick her up early, depending on the class schedule.
10. Stock up. Have extra winter clothing on hand, if possible. The first Snow Day of the year is much less fun when your child has left her snow pants at school. And plan to lose at least one set of gloves. If you buy three identical sets of gloves, odds are you will have at least one matching set at the end of the year. Just in case, the Lost and Found box is in the office.
If you recently moved to West Lafayette from somewhere warm and lovely, I am so sorry! But seriously, you can stock up on all the clothing your family needs to get through your first Indiana winter at J.C. Penney, Sears, Target, KMart, or Walmart. You can purchase gently-used childrens' outerwear at Once Upon a Child in Lafayette.
Below are some examples of items your child will need.
Thanks for reading and bring on the snow!
It is important to say that you are your child's most important and influential teacher. You set the tone for your child's love of learning from the very start and it is you who bridges the gap between school and home. Sometimes this can feel overwhelming.
So please join us for "Bringing Montessori Home," a Parent Development Opportunity on Wednesday, October 9th from 6:30-8:00 pm. Kelly Sallee will be presenting ideas you can use and materials you can make to prepare a home environment that will nurture your child's independence. We hope you might also share how you use the Montessori philosophy to help your child be successful in your home. Register in the office or call or email email@example.com today!
Date: Wednesday, Oct. 9th
Time: 6:30-8:00 pm
Location: MSGL
Classroom: To Be Decided
Childcare available - call,
sign up in office or email Lena at firstname.lastname@example.com.
We hope to see you there!
Families are drawn to Montessori schools for many different reasons. Sometimes parents are looking to continue in preschool the child-centered environment they have established at home. Others wish to see their children thrive in the our enriched classrooms. Still, other families choose Montessori preschools because they want their children to learn and socialize in a non-competitive environment. Whatever the reason parents choose Montessori, they often have many questions during their child's first year.
To help answer these questions, MSGL offers a 1 ½-hour Montessori Basics class each Fall and all new families are expected to attend. Preprimary teacher Kelly Sallee presented this year's class on September 25th to a packed house of over 40 parents and grandparents. Kelly focused her presentation on the Prepared Environment, the Sensitive Periods of a child's development, and the Role of the Teacher. If you were unable to attend this year's Basics, follow this link to read more about Kelly's presentation. Below are a few tips for new parents.
Kelly's Tips for New Montessori Parents
Do your best to control the environment, not the child. Organize the child's belongings to help him be independent and successful.
Don't worry if your child is unable to sit still or to focus for long periods. "Even when we feel they're not listening, they are learning."
What's in your child's cubby does not necessarily reflect their work because many activities have no "paper" component. Look at classroom photos and videos on SmugMug to see what the children are working on in class. Your child's teacher will also have this information available for you at parent/teacher conferences.
Give your child the gift of time. Try not to rush her through tasks. When a child is allowed to dress herself in the morning it may take longer but she will develop the skills necessary for independence.
Allow your child to work without interruption, when possible. Periods of uninterrupted work strengthen a child's ability to concentrate for longer periods of time.
Allow your child to complete tasks without correction. "I don't know any adults who walk around with their shoes on the wrong feet. They will figure it out with time."
Give your child the opportunity to be a third-year student. Our mixed-age classrooms allow children to move from being the youngest who look up to role models to being the role models themselves. "Children who are the youngest in their families need the third year to be the leader that they don't get to be at home."


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Research Affiliates is best known for its fundamental indexing strategies that seek to capture inherent value that capitalization-based indexes based on market price overlook.
It is therefore something of a surprise to see in the August newsletter of Research Affiliates, the Newport Beach-based firm founded by Rob Arnott, a not entirely negative evaluation of momentum-based investing, which is, after all, a strategy that is opposite to value investing (on which fundamental indexing is based).
The article, "Hot Potato: Momentum as an Investment Strategy," by Research Affiliates Vice President Ryan Larson, describes momentum as a "lively game of hot potato—buying rapidly appreciating stocks, holding them for a relatively short period, and selling them before their price trends reverse direction."
Larson reviews evidence for momentum and cites studies showing it can have superlative results in favorable conditions. For example, he cites the first comprehensive study of the subject in 1993, which found momentum to be the best-performing strategy from 1965 to 1989. In that period, that entailed buying stocks that outperformed the previous 12 months while shorting losers and holding those positions for the subsequent three months.
While empirical results were favorable, Larson's review of the evidence finds no theoretical support that can scientifically account for why that strategy would outperform.
Larson next looks at momentum through the prism of Fama-French-Carhart equity risk factors—beta, value, size and momentum—and there, too, finds that momentum, impressively, registers the highest return and Sharpe ratio from 1970 to the present.
Despite its high returns, it is in the risk area that Larson argues against momentum as a standalone strategy. Momentum, like the other equity risk factors, has its seasons of success and failure. In fact, momentum has earned a negative risk premium for the past 13 years.
What's more, momentum is subject to especially severe market correction:
"Although momentum and value factors have similar Sharpe ratios over time, momentum has 50% higher volatility," Larson writes, "whereas value is more stable and, perhaps, more intuitively appealing."
Larson cites research by Eugene Fama and Kenneth French showing that momentum works best in illiquid, smaller-cap stocks, and significantly, that the turnover required to capture momentum generates high trading costs that can "offset the alpha potential at a fairly low level of assets invested."
Ultimately, the Research Affiliates staffer stands by the value strategy — which involves "systematic rebalancing to constituent weights that are not related to prices" — for which his firm is best known, but endorses adding momentum as a short-term portfolio-enhancing tactic.
"I submit that complementing a long-term fundamentals-weighted strategy with a judicious commitment to a short-term momentum strategy might, in aggregate, produce attractive risk-adjusted returns," Larson cloncludes. "Indeed, Morningstar found a blended portfolio of value and momentum outperformed a blended portfolio of value and growth by nearly 1% annually."
Check out Weighing Fundamentals by Ron DeLegge on ThinkAdvisor.

subset: commoncrawl


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President Barack Obama nominated a new ambassador to Libya on Wednesday, filling a post that has been vacant since Chris Stevens was killed in the Sept. 11 Benghazi attack and signaling the United States' commitment to the North African country as it undergoes a perilous transition from decades of dictatorship.
The announcement came as Secretary of State John Kerry was meeting Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zidan, and two days after the six-month anniversary of the storming of the U.S. diplomatic mission in the eastern Libyan city. No one has yet been captured for the attack, which has caused significant political headaches for Obama and his foreign policy team.
"The United States will continue to stand with Libya during this difficult time of transition," Kerry told reporters. "The Libyan people have begun to chart the course for their own future, and they're defining it. Obviously there are challenges ahead and we understand that, from building political consensus to strengthening the security and protecting human rights, and growing the Libyan economy."
Kerry thanked the Libyan government for its cooperation after the Benghazi attack and insisted that "those who killed Americans in Benghazi will be brought to justice." He promised Zidan that America would continue working for a stable Libya.
"We must not walk away from the difficult work that Chris Stevens and his cohorts were so dedicated to," Kerry said. Stevens was the first ambassador killed in the line of duty since the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan in 1979.
To replace Stevens, the White House tapped Deborah K. Jones, a career diplomat who has served in Kuwait, United Arab Emirates and the now-shuttered U.S. Embassy in Syria. Jones, who currently works as a scholar at the Middle East Institute in Washington, also has spent time at embassies in Turkey and Ethiopia.
Jones will assume a difficult position heading the embassy in Libya's capital, Tripoli. The North African country has been beset by lawlessness, militant group rivalries and political instability since rebels, with the help of the U.S. and other governments, overthrew long-time dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011.
"She is a very capable and experienced diplomat," Kerry said of Jones. "I have no doubt that she will help to strengthen the partnership between us."
Zidan also met with Obama and his national security adviser Tom Donilon at the White House.
The president added his support Libya's democratic efforts and outlined areas the U.S. could help the government strengthen its institutions and improve the rule of law, according to a statement by Caitlin Hayden, spokeswoman for the National Security Council.
From Washington's perspective, the most pressing problem is insecurity.
Stevens and three other Americans were killed a half-year ago when a large group of men, possibly tied to Islamic extremist groups, assaulted the American outpost in Benghazi, and the help that arrived proved far too little and too late.
The militant group Ansar Al-Shariah is suspected of carrying out the attack, which the administration initially attributed to a protest over an American-made, anti-Islam video that spiraled out of control. Officials later retracted that account and called it a terror attack. But no one has been punished in Libya or elsewhere for involvement.
Zidan has been trying to reassert government control over Libya. Last month, he called on militias to evacuate buildings and headquarters and join government security forces, vowing that his government will take a hardline stand against any armed group that tries to hijack control of "Tripoli or Benghazi or any other city."
However, the Libyan government heavily depends on security provided by commanders of several powerful militias that the president has labeled "legitimate" forces. Militias in Libya often act with impunity, running their own prison cells, making arrests and taking confessions in total absence of state control and oversight.
The lawlessness also has allowed Gadhafi's once-vast stock of weapons to fall into the hands of extremists who've sparked a civil war in neighboring Mali. A France-led intervention has pushed back the Islamist militants after they seized half the country last year.
Speaking next to Kerry, Zidan thanked Obama and the U.S. for its key contribution in the effort to defeat Gadhafi. He said Libya would partner the U.S. in stabilizing his country and region.
"This relationship will be at the best level," Zidan, in his first to trip to Washington as prime minister, said through an interpreter.
Associated Press National Security Writer Lara Jakes contributed to this report.


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Union: New London officer on leave accused of leaks to media
New London — Police confirmed on Tuesday that Officer David McElroy, who the union claims is the target of an internal investigation regarding a leak about a reported rape this summer, was placed on administrative leave last month.
Police administration officials declined to comment any further on the issue but in a written statement, the union blasted Police Chief Margaret Ackley and Mayor Daryl Justin Finizio for what they claim is an attack on the local union leadership by offering a deal to McElroy that would force local union President Officer Todd Lynch to resign from the department.
Lynch, a vocal critic of the administration who has a pending lawsuit against Ackley and the city, is not alleged to have had any involvement in the leaked information, according to Eric Brown, an attorney for AFSCME, Council 15, Connecticut Council of Police Unions. Despite that, Brown said Ackley, through the town attorney, offered to issue McElroy, the vice president of the local union, a written reprimand in exchange for Lynch's resignation.
"I have never heard of such an outrageous proposal," Brown said. "The two things are unrelated. It paints the picture that this has been about Lynch all along."
Lynch has no plans to leave, and McElroy plans to defend himself against the accusations, Brown said.
He also said that Ackley, through the town attorney, "intimated that if Lynch did not take the deal, life would become even more difficult for him and union leaders," according to a statement from the union.
When Lynch learned of the offer, he said he was disgusted but not shocked.
"I've been targeted for several years now, and this situation is going to be dealt with by my attorneys," Lynch said. "I continue to dust myself off, put my dog in my car and come to work every day and serve the citizens of the City of New London to the best of my ability. I'm not going to be bullied, blackmailed or coerced to do anything."
Brown reiterated his call for Ackley's resignation, saying morale is at an all-time low at the department and officers continue to leave in droves.
The internal investigation surrounding the leaked information is related to a report of an alleged rape in the downtown area in July. Initially criticized about the lack of information released to the public, the police department later said the incident did not happen as originally reported, and the investigation was halted. Brown said there are still members of the police department who question the accuracy of the information released to the public.
New London Deputy Police Chief Peter Reichard said he was not able to comment on an open investigation or a personnel matter. He did say McElroy has a pre-disciplinary meeting scheduled for Nov. 25.
Zak Leavy, executive assistant to the mayor, said the city would not comment on internal investigations or information pertaining to collective bargaining.
The union's revelations come at a time of increased friction between city administration and the union, who are in the midst of contract negotiations.
Last week, the police department posted a statement on its Facebook page claiming there were false statements and half-truths on the union's website. A notice on the union website claimed administration was trying to sabotage this weekend's annual food drive by not allowing volunteers to use the department's van.
Police administration did approve the request for use of the marked van for the food drive with the caveat that the driver be in uniform, according to Reichard. He said the uniform requirement was due to a liability issue. The department's Facebook posting said the van driver should be prepared to represent the city professionally and to respond to an emergency, threat or request for service should it arise.
The union has about 50 grievances pending, Brown said in a recent interview, almost two dozen of which are pending for arbitration. He said the grievances, which contain things like claims of unbalanced discipline or disputes over changes to training protocols, and the fact they have not been resolved, is an example of department dysfunction.
The Day filed a Freedom of Information request on Oct. 10 for access to the grievances on file. The city has not yet produced the documents.
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Apple 11-inch Apple iPad Pro
At Sprint 2 Nw 16Th Ave, Gainesville, FL
At Sprint 2 Nw 16Th Ave, Gainesville, FL
- $39.59 / mo. and $0.00 down today
Buy or upgrade today
Order onlineShip to home Buy for pickup Additional discounts may apply
Choose a plan, and select shipping or store pick-up at checkout
Choose a plan, and select shipping or store pick-up at checkout
Get in-store Low Stock, Contact UsDirections Call store Make an appointment
The new 11-inch iPad Pro features an advanced Liquid Retina display that goes edge to edge.(1) Face ID, so you can securely unlock iPad Pro, log in to apps, and pay with just a glance. The A12X Bionic chip is faster than most PC laptops and easily runs pro apps. All-day battery life.(3) Wi-Fi and Gigabit-class LTE.(4) Over a million apps available on the App Store, including augmented reality experiences. And the new Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard Folio help you be even more creative and productive.(2) It will make you rethink what iPad is capable of—and what a computer is capable of.
- 11-inch edge-to-edge Liquid Retina display with ProMotion, True Tone, and wide color(1)
- A12X Bionic chip with Neural Engine
- Face ID for secure authentication and Apple Pay
- 12MP back camera, 7MP TrueDepth front camera
- Four speaker audio with wider stereo sound
- 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Gigabit-class LTE cellular data4
- Up to 10 hours of battery life(3)
- USB-C connector for charging and accessories
- iOS 12 with Group FaceTime, shared augmented reality experiences, Screen Time, and more
Similar Products In Stock at Sprint 2 Nw 16Th Ave
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Sprint Butler Plaza
- Open from 10:00 am - 8:00 pm
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4757 E Silver Springs Blvd
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text:
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text:
Disposal and Decontamination Guidance
In the event that a biological, chemical or radiological agent is used in an attack that affects the safety of meat, poultry or processed egg products, there is a need to ensure the proper disposal of contaminated product and possible additional laboratory testing. If a processing facility is contaminated there is also the need to ensure that the facility has been decontaminated and meets FSIS sanitation requirements before it resumes operation.
- Disposal and Decontamination Guidelines (PDF Only)
- Federal Food and Agriculture Decontamination and Disposal Roles and Responsibilities (PDF Only)
- FSIS Directive 5500.4
- Food Emergency Response Network (FERN)
Recovery from food contamination with threat agents requires specific guidelines for disposal and decontamination to ensure the safety of the food supply and the environment.
- FSIS, in conjunction with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has developed disposal and decontamination guidelines for food products and food processing facilities intentionally contaminated with threat agents.
- FSIS Directive 5500.4, Products Intentionally Adulterated with Threat Agents, has been developed to inform agency field personnel of their roles and responsibilities in the case of an intentional contamination in a food processing facility.
Food Emergency Response Network (FERN)
During recovery, FERN will continue to assist and coordinate analytical activities to restore public confidence in the safety of the food supply. FERN will also provide laboratory support for investigations of and recovery from terrorism-related events affecting the food supply. In addition, FERN will be used to confirm the safety of the food supply using analytical tests.
FSIS recognizes the importance of good communication with the media to ensure informed reporting to more quickly recover from an incident of deliberate contamination. Communications is a standard component in agency exercises and is designed to inform participants of issues surrounding communications with the media and the public during the response and recovery phases of an incident. **For Media Inquiries Contact: the FSIS Congressional and Public Affairs Office at (202) 720-9113.


text:
When my husband goes on long business trips, I eat cereal for dinner. Other times, it's peanut butter and jelly. But, after the third night of sitting down to a cold meal alone, I start craving something warm and usually rush out to the store for a Marie Callender chicken pot pie… Which is probably the most chock-full-o-calories frozen meal imaginable, but hey. I get lonesome.
Though Mark isn't planning on leaving anytime soon, I know for sure that the next time he does, I'm making a big homemade chicken pot pie so I can heat up the leftovers and have a toasty hot meal, even if my only company is the TV screen. Because a dinner of cereal is seriously depressing night after night, don't you agree?
This pot pie is sensationally good, you've got to trust me. If you don't want to, maybe you can trust these people who've made it, too?
It's been one of our favorite comfort foods for years, and since we travel often, it's easy to freeze and come back to. You can make it large, make 'em mini, make it with homemade pie crust or store-bought (I'm sure you can tell which is which from my pictures!). However you make it, this pot pie is always delicious and never easy to mess up.
Plus, eating pot pie is like getting a big, warm squeezed-to-death hug from your Grandma. And who doesn't love those?
I've never been a good air-hugger. I always go for the big hugs.
I'm 100% certain that you will love this creamy, full-of-flavor pot pie and be planning to make it again and again after you make it the first time. The crust is crisp and buttery, the filling oozes flavorful chunks of carrots, celery, chicken and peas, and the whole thing goes great with a glass of wine and some good conversation. That is, if your significant other is in town.
Please enjoy this recipe as a gift from me to you, and if you do try it, I'd love to hear how it turned out for you!
Craving more? Keep in touch on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram for new post updates and more. You can also check out my FAQ page, or contact me with any questions or inquiries!
Best Chicken Pot Pie
Yield: Large pie serves 4-5, mini pies serve 6
Roll out two 9-inch pie crusts. Place bottom crust into six ramekins or one 9-inch pie plate, and shape with your fingers. Pour filling into bottom crust. Roll out top crust; cut slits for steam to escape. Cover filling with top crust. Seal crusts and wave edge with your fingers. Whisk egg with water, and brush top crust with egg wash.
Bake in a 400 degree oven for 35-40 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling. If top crust is browning too quickly, cover loosely with aluminium foil. Let stand 15-20 minutes before serving.
Adapted from CDKitchen


text: Wednesday, February 20, 2013 APTA President Discusses the Future of Physical Therapy on Internet Radio Show APTA President Paul A. Rockar Jr, PT, DPT, MS, recently participated in Healthy, Wealthy, and Smart, an internet radio show hosted by Karen Litzy, PT, MS, to discuss the future of the physical therapy profession. During the 1-hour segment, Rockar answered questions and spoke on a variety of topics affecting our profession, including health care reform and how it will affect physical therapy, the "triple aim" of health care and how physical therapy fits into the overall health care system, and issues related to direct access, among others. The show, which originally aired on Monday, February 18, can be heard anytime online at http://www.talkingalternative.com/monday-shows/healthy-wealthy-smart.


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Delivery & Returns
Stock permitting, all orders placed on the web are usually dispatched within 2 working days.
Free Next Day Delivery on all UK orders
Free Next Day delivery is available on all UK orders. We ship orders under £250 via Royal Mail 24 Signed For delivery the next working day after dispatch. We ship orders over £250 via Royal Mail Special Delivery guaranteed for delivery before 1pm on the next working day after dispatch.
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European delivery is free of charge. We ship orders to Europe via Royal Mail International Signed For. You should expect European orders to arrive 3-5 working days after dispatch.
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International delivery to the Rest of the World is charged at £30. We ship orders to the Rest of the World via FedEx. You should expect orders to Rest of the World to arrive 3-5 working days after dispatch. Click here to see a list of countries that we can deliver to.
Free Click & Collect
If you prefer to collect your order from one of our ROX stores, then please choose this option when you checkout. We can ship your order to ROX Aberdeen, ROX Glasgow, ROX Edinburgh, ROX Leeds, ROX Liverpool or ROX Newcastle for collection. We'll send you a confirmation email to say that your order is ready to collect and you'll need to bring photographic ID with you. Please note that inter-store transfers may take 2-3 days to arrive in the shop.
14-day Money Back Guarantee
We're committed to selling high-quality jewellery and watches that we hope you'll enjoy but we also know that, for one reason or another, there may be a time when you need to exchange or return something you've bought. We will be more than happy to offer you an exchange or refund provided that your purchase is returned to us with 14-days in its original condition, unworn, with the original packaging and sales receipt. We are sorry but we cannot offer exchanges or refunds if your item has been specially made to order or personalised to your requirements? Our 14-day Money Back Guarantee does not affect your statutory rights.
Care Instructions
Your watch will require care and regular maintenance to ensure its accuracy and to protect its appearance. It is important to note, however, that each brand and model of watch has its own specific care guidelines and you should always refer to the manufacturer's instruction manual or warranty, provided with your watch.
Avoid water damage to your watch. Check your watch's water resistance and adhere strictly to instructions in your manufacturer's instructions. Should water or condensation appear in your watch face, have it checked by a watch specialist.
Avoid leaving your watch in extreme temperatures as this can cause complications. Generally, extreme heat can shorten the battery life of a quartz watch and extreme cold can cause your watch to gain or lose time.
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Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Miso Soup + Seaweed Harvest for Outdoor Wedensday
"Tis the season to be jolly...." True, but wretched excess robs the body of strength and the mind of clarity. That's scary because the holiday season has only just begun and weeks of revelry remain before the firm resolve of the New Year kicks in. Eating sensibly can be difficult and its hard to find nutritional balance on holiday tables. Truth be told, I don't always look for balance, but I do watch what I eat. It's not a diet in the true sense of the word, but when I know dinner will be heavy, lunch will be light, sometimes very light. While I know there are celebrities who advocate regimes of fast and purge, that's not my style. I have to eat something. My something can be light and the portion can be small but it has to be there or my inner diva surfaces. Even I don't like her much. To keep her quiet, I made miso soup for lunch today. In Japan miso soup is a culinary staple. It is very light and usually served at the beginning of a meal. The soup, developed by Buddhist monks in the 7th century, was a favorite of Samurai warriors who chose it for its nutritional content. It is still a favorite in Japan today where it is called misoshiru. The soup is made with a stock called dashi and a soft miso paste. Other ingredients can be added according to whim or availability. Miso paste is made from a mixture of soybeans, a starch such as rice or barley, salt, a smidge of water and yeast. Fortunately, miso paste can be found in most large grocery stores. It comes in four forms: red, white, barley, and soybean. I use a commercially available white miso to make my soup. Unfortunately, I have to make my own dashi. While that's not hard to do, it requires some forethought and advanced planning. When I make it, I make lots and freeze it. If you are unable to get the ingredients for dashi, a vegetable or chicken broth can be used. I add very little else to my soup. I usually settle on a handful of green onions, some Wakame seaweed and tofu. While it is not necessary, I add tofu to "beef" up the protein content of my soup.
Wakame is an edible seaweed that can be farmed or harvested from the ocean. It is high in nutrients and low in fat and cholesterol and, when fresh, is a glorious leafy green in color. I have no access to fresh Wakame, so, I use a dried, dehydrated form. Today's recipe is a two step procedure. The first recipe is for dashi, a Japanese fish stock. The second is for the soup itself. I know it's hard to make something from scratch when dehydrated packets of it are available in grocery stores. I make my own to keep a handle on the sodium content of my soup. I hope you'll give this version a try. Here are the two recipes.
Dashi - Japanese Fish Stock
4 cups cold water
1 (6-inch) piece konbu (edible kelp), cut into 2-inch pieces
1/3 cup bonito flakes (bonito is a member of the mackeral family)
Put water and konbu in a pan. Let konbu soak for 20 minutes. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir in bonito flakes and remove from heat. Let sit for at least 10 minutes. Press and strain through a fine mesh sieve. Yield: 4 cups.
Miso Soup
4 cups hot dashi (see above)
1/3 cup miso paste
1/3 cup sliced green onions
1 cup medium-firm tofu
2-1/2 tablespoons pre-soaked Wakame seaweed
Bring miso to a simmer. Slowly spoon miso paste into soup. Do not boil. Stir in softened Wakame, green onions and tofu. Serve hot: Yield: 4 cups.
You might also enjoy these recipes:
Japanese Clear Soup with Carrots and Daikon Flowers - Kahakai Kitchen
Nabeyaki Udon - Tasty Trix
Vegetable Wonton Soup - Seriously Soupy
Soba Noodle Soup - The Hunger Struck
Chinese Egg Drop Soup - Curious Eats
Tom Yum Goong - Las Vegas Food Adventures
This is being linked to:
Outdoor Wednesday - A Southern Daydreamer
45 comments :
- Jenn @ Peas and Crayons said...
This is great! thanks! I loooove miso soup and this will go perfect with my homemade sushi!
Jenn @ Peas & Crayons
- December 14, 2010 at 8:32 PM
- Yvonne @ StoneGable said...
Mary, I just feel like I have been to cooking school. What a wonderfully informative post!
I would probably have not thought to make Miso Soup, but with your recommendation... you never know!
- December 14, 2010 at 8:40 PM
- Nisrine | Dinners and Dreams said...
Lovely broth with sweet and flavorful miso.
- December 14, 2010 at 8:50 PM
- Unknown said...
I love miso soup. It's so comforting, delicious and healthy too. What not to like?
Have a great day. Michael
- December 14, 2010 at 9:00 PM
- Lynne (lynnesgiftsfromtheheart) said...
What an interesting post Mary. You never fail to tweak my interests in cooking new and interesting things. hugs ~lynne~
- December 14, 2010 at 9:18 PM
This is a wonderful recipe and an informative post. I probably wouldn't advise admiring celebries who fast and purge, but a light sensible nourishing meal is a very good thing over the holidays.
- December 14, 2010 at 9:44 PM
- Kari said...
That soup sounds really good. Some of the ingredients I've never cooked with so I'm bookmarking it to try:)
- December 14, 2010 at 10:17 PM
- Ginny Hartzler said...
I have never seen Miso soup before. It is also a big favorite among celebrities. Soup may be my favorite food.
- December 14, 2010 at 10:19 PM
- ann said...
Such an interesting post! The excess of the season is already getting to me. This would be a nice soothing soup to make.
- December 14, 2010 at 10:23 PM
- Linda Starr said...
This is definitely soup weather. Whenever I go to a Japanese restaurant I always get miso soup, thanks for the recipe on how to make it. Love the photos of the seaweed drying in the sun, interesting how it is harvested. I've read that it had many good nutrients in it and in pottery folks search for seaweed to use in the pit firings because all the chemical make many different colors on the pottery.
- December 14, 2010 at 11:28 PM
- penny aka jeroxie said...
Weekdays miso soup is so good. Thanks for sharing the information.
- December 14, 2010 at 11:29 PM
- kitchen flavours said...
Miso soup is my family's favourite Japanese soup! Love this!
- December 15, 2010 at 12:36 AM
- EnAirRaH said...
Never tried this soup yet,..
- December 15, 2010 at 2:34 AM
- Sonia ~ Nasi Lemak Lover said...
Miso soup is my family's favourite too!
- December 15, 2010 at 3:59 AM
- Priya Suresh said...
Delicious miso soup...
- December 15, 2010 at 5:08 AM
- Flavia Galasso said...
It's always interesting reading your post!!I'm learning a lot of things...thank you mAry...have a nice day, hugs, Flavia
- December 15, 2010 at 6:37 AM
- Unknown said...
I love miso soup.. it's one of my favorites. I especially love it when I'm feeling run down. Thanks for lesson on seaweed too! I love learning new things like that!
- December 15, 2010 at 8:12 AM
- From the Kitchen said...
I like miso soup and what a good light lunch (in anticipation of holiday dinners) it makes. I'm quite happy to have your stock recipe. I never seen the flaked bonito but have never looked for it.
Now, do you have a recipe for seaweed salad?
- December 15, 2010 at 8:40 AM
- Kim said...
Mary - Thanks for sharing the pictures of the seaweed harvesting. I've never cooked with wakame, but would love to give it a go. Looks like a beautiful soup.
- December 15, 2010 at 9:29 AM
- Pete said...
good to have a hot bowl of miso soup on a cool day!
- December 15, 2010 at 9:33 AM
- Donnie said...
I love Miso in a restaurant but have never made it at home. I would have to buy most everything on the list so I'll see after the first of the year. Take care.
- December 15, 2010 at 9:48 AM
- Yoshi said...
Thanks for commenting on my blog. I am impressed at your recipe! I, as Japanese, always use dashi (= dried powder base containing katsuo/bonito and wakame/seaweed that are available at any supermarket. Yes, it is important NOT to boil after adding miso paste. My favorite topping is a mushroom (shimeji).
Thanks for sharing and have a nice miso soup.
- December 15, 2010 at 10:19 AM
- NatureFootstep said...
If I am not wrong, this is the food for the future. :)
- December 15, 2010 at 10:29 AM
- Faith said...
This is so healthy and full of nutrients...it looks like the perfect meal to re-energize during the holidays! Thanks for sharing, Mary!
- December 15, 2010 at 10:45 AM
- Gloria Baker said...
Lovely soup dear Mary! x gloria
- December 15, 2010 at 11:08 AM
- StephenC said...
You are spot on about the sodium in the packets of instant dashi. If a person gets some wakame and some bonito flakes they last for a long, long time. There's nothing hard about making it (as you know), it's mostly about - do you have what you need in the pantry.
- December 15, 2010 at 11:34 AM
- Kelly said...
I love miso soup though it occurs to me I have never made it at home. It also occurs to me that the last time I bought miso paste I have no idea what kind I bought! I used to buy it at Whole Foods, but I find it is so much cheaper at the Korean grocer (H Mart). Only problem, most things are not in English so half the time I have NO idea what I am buying.
- December 15, 2010 at 11:42 AM
- •°°• IcyBC •°°• said...
This soup makes me so hungry, and also gives me a warm in my tummy just to see it..
- December 15, 2010 at 12:17 PM
- bunny The Paris House said...
I love Miso soup and this is such an informative post..its funny even though it is Christmas time I am really craving healthy food. I'm baking but still caring for my body with tofu, ginger and a lot of Thai and Asian inspired food that really makes me feel so good and healthy
- December 15, 2010 at 1:15 PM
- Rita said...
I found out Miso soups are not all created equal; I have tasted some really good and some very ,,,,.
First time I get to understand how it is made; thank you so much for sharing this Mary.
- December 15, 2010 at 1:44 PM
- Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...
I always order Miso soup when I dine in a Japenese restaurant. It is delicious. I always wonder about the sodium content, however, as I usually like to keep that under control if possible. If I can find the ingredients locally I will try to make your version of Miso, Mary. It sounds delcious!
- December 15, 2010 at 2:15 PM
- Angie's Recipes said...
Mary, you cook so well! The soup looks so good!
- December 15, 2010 at 2:17 PM
- The Blonde Duck said...
Mu husband loves this soup!
- December 15, 2010 at 2:26 PM
- teresa said...
oh i'm with you, i can't skip meals, i have to eat something, even if it's something light and delicious like this soup! and i loved learning about the seaweed!
- December 15, 2010 at 2:58 PM
- Vittle me this... said...
this looks great!
- December 15, 2010 at 3:25 PM
- art is in the kitchen said...
Miso soup is really good for you but have to always look for the low sodium one to really enjoy it. Great info on seaweed! The Japanese longevity has a lot to do with their food and lifestyle I must say! Thanks for sharing! Happy holidays to you!
- December 15, 2010 at 7:28 PM
- Peggy said...
Miso soup is one of my favorites! I love it's clean, fresh taste and it definitely warms me up on cold nights like these!
- December 15, 2010 at 9:18 PM
- Victor said...
I had dashi yesterday. It tasted so good that I wanted to make my own version of it.
- December 15, 2010 at 9:59 PM
- Unknown said...
Very good information. Thanks! My friend Chan wrote about wakame. There are many healthy foods we need to make ourselves familiar with. I recently tried Yuca root. Yum.
- December 15, 2010 at 10:48 PM
- agreenearth said...
Love that recipe.
- December 16, 2010 at 12:04 AM
- Sara Chapman in Seattle, USA said...
I must be a real food nut because those scads of seaweed on the beach look yummy to me! Wish hubby liked seaweed or tofu. Sigh.
- December 16, 2010 at 1:23 AM
- Monet said...
What a beautiful post! I've enjoyed miso soup for quite some time but I just loved learning about the history behind those warm bowls and seeing that seaweed drying in the wind. I hope you have a wonderful end to your week. Thank you for brightening my day!
- December 16, 2010 at 1:54 AM
- Lucie said...
Great post! I have miso quite often--it's a great simple soup when you need some warmth.
- December 16, 2010 at 2:11 AM
- Valérie said...
This is one of my favourite soups. Homemade dashi tastes so much better, doesn't it?
- December 16, 2010 at 1:42 PM
- FOODESSA said...
Although, incredibly interested in your well written post Mary I've never really been a fan of Miso soup. Maybe, I still was not served the best one yet ;o)
It was a interesting read and fab pics.
Flavourful wishes,
- December 17, 2010 at 8:05 AM