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May 2005 The Third National Conference and Annual General Meeting held on 30 April and 1 May was a resounding success with more than 300 Montessorians attending from all over the country. This goes to show that Montessori in SA is alive and well and that there are literally hundreds of people eager to learn more about the matters that are close to their hearts – especially how to best serve the children of our country! The highlight of the conference was undoubtedly the keynote speaker Michael Dorer. According to Michael Dorer's resume he is the Director of the Centre for Contemporary Montessori Programmes at the College of Saint Catherine in Minneapolis, Minnesota and an American Montessori Society Board Member. He is currently the President of the International Association for Montessori Education (IAME). The conference was opened with a lecture from Michael entitled 'Montessori as an Education for Life'. He started by rephrasing the title into a question and went on to prove the validity of the statement. His enlightening arguments were centred around the three following facts: • Montessori education fits every child's planes and phases of development • Montessori education prepares every child for today and tomorrow • Montessori education enables each child, through joyous participation, to discover not only knowledge, but the wisdom that lies within each one of us. Micheal Dorer's further lectures on "Story Telling for Mathematics" and "The Horizontal Curriculum" were both entertaining and most informative. Inspirational! The workshops held over both days were well prepared and well presented resulting in the groups leaving inspired and better equipped to handle situations in their schools in the coming year. The two day's management training by Mark Connelly entitled 'Appreciative Leadership' was a must for all school principals and school owners. All attendants left with ideas and techniques to turn every negative event into a positive course of action through his approach. The AGM was attended by about 80 people and draft minutes of the meeting are available to SAMA members on request. Highlights of the AGM 1. SAMA Membership • There will be no increase in fees for the coming year. • Due to streamlining of SAMA's membership system, new numbers will be allocated to all members. • The due date for membership fee payments is no longer on the anniversary of joining, but on the 1st April each year. Membership fee renewal amounts will be pro-rated to that date and advised to members. • Due to the now corrected shortcomings in SAMA's administration system, a moratorium was agreed on unpaid membership fees up until 1 July 2005. The effect of this moratorium is that if your membership fees are currently due, irrespective of when they became due, you will have up until 1st July to pay for the following one year without having to re-register. Please avail yourself of this offer and pay your membership fees of R160 for individual members and the fee according to the number of staff members you employ (maximum R500) for Institutional membership – renewal forms are attached for your convenience – SAMA needs your fees (and support) to continue to do the work that will benefit every Montessori teacher and child in SA! 2. Quality Accreditation In line with SAMA's slogan adopted last year 'Supporting Quality in Montessori Education' SAMA has completed its Minimum Standards for Montessori Pre-schools document. This document is now available to all members of the public, schools and teachers so that all are aware of the minimum standards expected by SAMA in Montessori pre-schools. For schools the document is in the form of a self-evaluation. Once this process has been completed, members are entitled to contact SAMA for full accreditation at a reasonable cost. Further details are available from your Regional Representative. The SAMA Minimum Standards for pre-schools document will be available from the SAMA website www.samontessori.org.za (still under construction) or from the SAMA admin office Tel 072 609 5979. There is a prepaid charge of R50 for printing and postage if this method is preferred. 3. Executive Committee The new, leaner National Executive Committee comprises of... |
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4. Regional Representatives
Since SAMA is an all inclusive, transparent organization, any of the National Executive Committee members may be contacted at any time for information regarding their portfolio or SAMA events and activities. The SAMA administration office is in Centurion, Gauteng where Tina-Lynn Jones assists with the day to day running of SAMA administrative duties. In conclusion, the SAMA National Executive would like to thank the conference organizers, especially Christine Clark and Su Cunningham, for an exceptional Annual General Meeting and Conference and an excellent start to a new SAMA year. Quote for the month... "Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans; that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favour, all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now". Goethe SAMA needs your commitment |
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