Search Results

Explore effective strategies for promoting consistency at home. Acquire practical ideas for encouraging developmental independence in your child, such as scheduling their own medical appointments. Learn about defining expectations and parameters for devices like tablets, gaming systems, mobile phones, and vehicles. Download these resources: Communication Hints Resources to Support Montessori Parenting Things Parents Can Do To Help Children Teen Parent Involvement Current Counseling & Therapy Services in Southern Indiana and Louisville

Understand the unique features and offerings of the CM Teen’s Program. Gain insights into effective strategies for supporting teens in their transition to adulthood. Explore at-home ideas that foster independence and growth in teens and pre-teens. Download the slideshow to follow along: Parent Involvement - Teens Transitioning to Adulthood

Learning to read should be a joyful experience for young children! With the current headlines promoting concern about reading development, it is important to make sure interventions are planned carefully so as to not negatively affect the development of each child. On Thursday, January 25th, the CM community gathered, virtually, to learn about how to support that natural acquisition of language and how we can help when it doesn’t happen naturally! Download the slides here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YQ5Jpp_Nw2uhgkKLUf0uDRy5mXC2XaQP/view?usp=drive_link Download the Sound Gestures and Actions Resource here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1F_Vu92sI6d2MhYUrGt78aw1UKPX2nBc9/view?usp=drive_link

Woods learners produced some pretty amazing creations for the showcase this past December! We're so grateful for the many families who were able to join us for the event. Get a look at some of these items and check out the 10 Minute Play Cabaret!

CM made the news with our efforts to support Gloria, our awesome exchange teacher! Check out the article and please consider donating to the GoFundMe campaign: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-glory-buy-a-car

Families interested in subbing for the 2023-24 school year MUST complete this workshop and the attached questionnaire, including the background check, to be part of the subbing list. This also applies to Early Ed families that want to observe at the window. This year's workshop took place on August 29th. We LOVE involved parents and we have a great process to get families set up to substitute. Even if you have subbed in the past, please attend this workshop every year for updates and reminders. Remember that another teacher is also in the studio with you - you will just be assisting them. For those that were unable to attend, please see linked below the video and some of the presentation materials that were shared during the workshop, as well as instructions on how to complete the steps to become a sub or volunteer. Presentation in PDF format - to follow along with the video Communications Hints Handout Resources to Support Montessori Parenting Early Ed Adult Commitments Elementary Adult Commitments Adolescent Adult Commitments Please view the entire video and complete the questionnaire here (it will submit online). One we receive the form, the Curved Desk will complete a background check so that you can be added to the pool of substitutes that teachers can reach out to. Tracey Pickman-Yates is our staff substitute coordinator and will be reaching out to the parents on the list of approved substitutes. You will be added to this list once you complete all steps in the process. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF OUR SCHOOL!

Empowering teens Community Montessori programs focus on developmental needs Photos by Brooke McAfee | News and Tribune Teenagers Alex Wheat (left) and Lucy Adams (right) gather Wednesday in an area of Community Montessori meant to provide a peaceful space for teens. BROOKE MCAFEE BROOKE.MCAFEE@NEWSANDTRIBUNE.COM NEW ALBANY — For teenagers at Community Montessori, it’s not the traditional high school experience. The New Albany K-12 school follows a different structure than most schools, including flexible programs tailored to students’ individual developmental needs. Community Montessori Director Barbara Burke Fondren said the charter school continues to adapt its teen program from year to year. The teen staff are the “architects” of the program as they listen to the teens and pay attention to their needs, she said. This includes focusing on the social and emotional well-being of the teens. “We survey the teens every year and say, what are we missing?” Burke Fondren said. “What do we need to do more? We try to create options and choices for them to move into... We think [it] also completely blends together with social and emotional health, which is probably the most needed thing in our teens’ program right now and [for] all teens maybe around the world.” Burke Fondren said the school started creating the teen program around 2004 or 2005, and the school considered ways to focus on the kids’ needs. “We always had the plan to add an age level every year, and we knew we wanted it to be centered around the learner instead of around the adults,” she said. “And oftentimes, a traditional high school can get really focused on the adults, because you’ve got to fill all the class times and there are bells and blocks and so forth.” At Community Montessori, students are instead called learners, and teachers are advisors. Instead of traditional classrooms, the school includes open spaces with different studios. The school focuses on “choice and flexibility.” “Over this last 10, 8 years, we’ve been trying to think about, what do we want each person to have — certain skills and so forth — as they move on, so they can do whatever their life journey is, whether that’s [to] go to a four-year college or go to a two-year college or to get a certification or just go into the workforce or do mission work,” Burke Fondren said. For 17-year-old Seth Couveau, Community Montessori has provided an opportunity to pursue creative projects such as costume design, which is for a capstone project. Couveau has also been involved in projects such as the production of a diorama and a short movie. He started the school in eighth grade after attending public school. Seth Couveau, 17, is creating a costume based on a fictional character in a series called “Warhammer 40,000.” This is among the creative projects he has pursued in Community Montessori’s teen program. “You would not be able to do this in a normal public school,” Couveau said. “It’s definitely factoring stuff that I enjoy doing such as costume design.” The school has a “renewal time” for students that is kind of like recess for teenagers. Danielle Manzo Bair, a teen studio support coordinator, said this was added a couple of years ago based on observations of what the teens needed in school. “They have options to go outside and play—like kids, teens need play,” she said. “They also have the option to stay inside and play games with one another—different types of play or just talking. Teens are hugely social, and actually giving that time to socialize is important.” Community Montessori recently redesigned a common space for the teen program to provide a “collaborative café-like environment” with furniture that students can adjust and rearrange as needed, according to Manzo Bair. This provides “ownership and empowerment” for the teens, Burke Fondren said. In the past few years, the school has started a coffee cart called the “Cosmic Café.” This year, a teen will begin a management position at the café. Students have also taken the initiative to create a “sensory overload” space where they can go “if they’re feeling overwhelmed or if they need a minute to themselves,” Manzo Bair said. In the past couple of years, one of the new additions is “flex time” for teens. “So teens can come in later, they can leave earlier—different ways for them to be a part of a school that doesn’t feel so restrictive,” Burke Fondren said. “They can kind of create their courses sometimes. A lot of them go off campus for courses.” Burke Fondren said Community Montessori’s internship program is an important part of their education. Teens participate in full-day internships one day a week throughout the semester. “We don’t give them a piece of paper and say, this is where you’re going to go,” she said. “We say, who are you, what do you want to do in life?” Abby Kerns, teen transition coordinator at Community Montessori, supports teens as they receive dual credits through Ivy Tech Community College. They can take classes at the Ivy Tech Sellersburg campus. “We have a great partnership with them so that [teens] can have an opportunity to see what that world might be like before they leave our building,” Kerns said. Aimee Joy is an advisor and “courage coordinator” in the teen program. One of her roles is to coordinate mental health services. Burke Fondren noted the importance of Joy’s work in teaching students to be courageous. “That’s one of the biggest things we’re teaching these young people to be is courageous, whether that is self-advocating, whether that is setting personal or professional boundaries or saying I need help,” she said. The school partners with Centerstone for therapy services on campus, and the school is hoping to receive grant funding to expand the services. The staff also focuses on a “holistic role” in meeting the needs of learners, according to Burke Fondren. Joy said that “everybody in the teens’ program is really good at supporting individuals.” This means supporting youth who may need extra support, including LGBTQ teens. Joy supports a student group called the “Queer Collective,” which offers a time for students to connect and “form some community.” “I tried to bring some queer history, and we are able to connect over the things that are traumatizing to us that are happening in the world of families or sometimes even in our friend groups, but I also tried to bring in queer celebration and joy,” she said. Joy said Community Montessori has a “solid history” of supporting transgender youth. “It happened in a lot of really organic ways,” she said. “We never had an issue with bathrooms, because every studio has one unisex bathroom. So when that was a big thing in the news, I don’t think that really affected this school in the same way.” Burke Fondren emphasized the need to support LGBTQ youth. “That is obviously one of the most high-needs groups for mental health needs and suicidal risk, and so really showing a welcoming community for all people regardless is super important to us,” she said. Students Skye Berry, Katie Nash and Angie Ard work together in a common space at Community Montessori in New Albany. Community Montessori advisor Melanie Swihart talks to 17-year-old Nathan Merk at the New Albany school during a weekly advisory meeting. Photos and story by Brooke McAfee | News and Tribune

We are so grateful to our families who were able to attend our first in-person orientation since before the pandemic! For our families who were unable to attend, we look forward to other opportunities to meet with you - hopefully at our upcoming Sub/Volunteer workshop! You can download the slideshow to follow along, as well as access links for materials referenced in this conversation.

What an incredible start to the new school year! We're filled with gratitude as we reflect on the smooth first days and rather seamless car lines. Heartfelt thanks go out to our amazing teachers, devoted families, and enthusiastic learners who made this day (and week) so extraordinary. As we embark on this grand adventure together, we extend our appreciation to our dedicated staff for their hard work and passion for education. To our incredible CM families, your diligence in reading and responding to emails is truly valued. And to our learners, whether returning or joining us for the first time, your presence and partnership are the driving force behind all that we do. Don't miss out on reliving the magic of the first day through the wonderful slideshow crafted by our talented Michael Sylvester! It captures the moments that make our community truly special. Here's to a fantastic year ahead, filled with growth, discovery, and boundless possibilities!

Have you ever wondered how to best support your elementary child? Have you ever noticed their endless questions and struggled to best answer them in a way that they would understand? Have you ever wondered why your elementary child now suddenly acts differently than they did or questions you when they didn’t seem to before? If you’ve had any of these questions or thoughts, you are not alone! In answering some of the questions, the Biomes team has put together an asynchronous presentation about the characteristics of the elementary-aged child discovered by Dr. Maria Montessori and held true to today’s child. Watch from the comforts of your own home with your coffee cup and pajamas to learn more about your child and gain some tips and tricks on how to best support them within the context of these characteristics! Download the handout to follow along: Connecting to Your Elementary Child - handout

We are thrilled to announce our upcoming event "ASD and the Neurodivergent Brain," which will feature Dr Temple Grandin as a virtual guest speaker! The event will take place on Tuesday, April 4th, in the school theatre, CASA dei Curiosity, and is open to the public. We welcome everyone to attend. Tickets will be available at the door for a reasonable cost of $5 and proceeds will support our Exceptional Learner Program. Seating will be first come, first serve, and doors will open at 6:30. Temple Grandin (bio linked here) is a prominent advocate for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and a professor of animal science at Colorado State University. Temple was diagnosed with ASD at a young age and struggled with social and communication difficulties. However, she has not let her diagnosis hold her back. Instead, she has used her unique perspective and experiences to become a leading authority on animal behavior and welfare, as well as a sought-after speaker on autism and neurodiversity. Temple Grandin's contributions to the field of autism have been immense. Her work has helped to increase awareness of autism and the unique perspectives and strengths of individuals with ASD. She has also been instrumental in developing educational and employment opportunities for people on the spectrum. She has written numerous books, including "Thinking in Pictures: My Life with Autism" and "The Autistic Brain: Helping Different Kinds of Minds Succeed." Temple has also been recognized for her work, receiving awards such as the National Women's Hall of Fame, being listed in Time Magazine's "100 Most Influential People in the World," and was featured in an award-winning HBO biopic of her life. At our event, Temple will speak about ASD and the Neurodivergent brain, drawing on her personal experiences and expertise. She will discuss the challenges and strengths of individuals on the spectrum, as well as the importance of understanding and accommodating neurodiversity in society. We are excited to welcome Temple Grandin as our virtual guest speaker. This event promises to be informative, engaging, inspiring, and educational. We hope to see you all there, and we hope that everyone who attends will leave with a greater understanding and appreciation of neurodiversity! Post Event: We had a delightfully authentic and unique Temple Grandin experience. Dr. Grandin shared her insights and experiences and devoted so much of her time to answering questions from families and learners! We're so grateful to all the families who were able to join us, and especially grateful to the learners who worked up the courage to ask questions themselves! You can also download Dr. Grandin's presentation slides (some of which you might recognize from her Ted Talks) below: Great Minds Are Not All the Same

Did you know that gardening can be a valuable educational tool for children? Not only does it provide hands-on learning opportunities, but it also promotes healthy living and environmental awareness. Gardening can teach children about plant life cycles, soil science, and the importance of conservation. Plus, it can be a fun and engaging way to learn about nutrition and healthy eating habits. By incorporating gardening into education, we can help children develop a deeper connection to nature and a greater appreciation for the environment. Let's inspire the next generation of eco-conscious leaders by cultivating their love for gardening and nature! Teens in our Gardening Occupation have certainly been working hard to get our greenhouse in working order, including excavating this HUGE rock that contains fossils!