May 2006

A New SAMA Year

Dear SAMA Members,
Welcome to the new SAMA Year – may it be one filled with continued growth in Montessori education and further development of both our professional and personal goals.

The National Executive Committee has already been hard at work, trying to further the Aims and Objectives of SAMA for you. We have committed ourselves to communicating with members on a more regular basis, keeping you up to date and informed of all of our workings. The following group of people are the dedicated volunteers working tirelessly for all Montessorians in Southern Africa:

Elected Office Bearers

Regional Representatives


In the next newsletter, we will give more details of each Exco members' job descriptions so that you, the members, know whom to contact for what. We welcome constructive input from members so that we can do our jobs more effectively. As many Exco members run schools and/or training programmes, the best way to reach them is via email or by phone after school hours. Tina-Lynn Jones can be reached Monday to Friday 8am to 1pm.

We welcome contributions to the newsletter from anyone – about anything you think may be of interest to others! Any light-hearted moments experienced at school, submissions of work from children in schools (poetry and similar), your own opinion and perspectives on Montessori philosophy, practical advice, news from your school and region, interesting places to visit ...the list is endless. You can make your submissions to Carol Laubscher or Sam Streak (details above).

A Message from the President
An excerpt from Christine Clark's Acceptance Speech given at the AGM 2006...
    "I am truly passionate about Montessori. I believe the way forward is through SAMA. SAMA is the voice that departments and organisations such as Umalusi, SACE and the Department of Education want to deal with.
    "I feel that I am a fair person. I feel that everyone has a voice and each person should be heard.
    "I say I am passionate about Montessori Education. Why? Well, I think it is the smiles on faces of children when they discover learning is fun. When you see the disruptive child become a calm, caring child.
    "SAMA's aims this year include becoming more professional, finding out what each member wants to get out of SAMA, giving each member their monies worth. SAMA needs to be more visible and our aim is to make this happen.
    "Why do we choose Montessori Education? I think it is because we want to make a difference in the lives of the children we teach. To help them be the best they can be, to be independent, with good self-esteem. But also to make a difference, to help people look for the good in everyone. We can all make a difference by being peaceful with each other and tolerant of each other. We must show our children by example. We can work together in unity and peace."

Annual Conference
Enormous thanks goes to Joanne Schimper and her team for co-ordinating an excellent conference. Many people have commented on how inspired they are being back at school, and how many thought-provoking moments they experienced. SAMA gained many new members at the conference and we extend a special welcome to them. We also value the many member renewals we have had and appreciate your support in the work of SAMA. Some of the main points raised by Dr Marlene Barron are included below.

Annual General Meeting
The draft minutes of the AGM will be available in the next few weeks to all members. The most pertinent issue for the SAMA Exco to finalise is that related to the Minimum Requirements for School Membership. We are in the process of completing this and should have more for you in the next newsletter. It is absolutely critical that we develop a professional and minimum standard and image among ourselves and for the public.

Annual Conference and Meeting 2007
KwaZulu Natal will be hosting the next Annual Conference. We will provide the organising committees contact details in the next newsletter so that you can give your input and suggestions. For now, you can contact Sharon Desfontaine (details at top) with any inspirational ideas. The date is also to be confirmed by next month so that you can start planning now.
Sama Website
For information on Job Vacancies, Associate Members (Suppliers), Member Schools and more visit the SAMA website at www.samontessori.org.za
Advertising
If you would like to advertise in the SAMA Newsletter, please send the relevant information through to Carol Laubscher.


Words to Remember
    "We cannot ask our children to live up to our expectations when we do not provide the example for them to follow." – (Anon)
    "Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands." – (Anne Frank)

Annual Montessori Conference
The following news from the Annual Montessori Conference held in Centurion 28 & 29 April 2006, was submitted by Heidi van Staden – Training Representative.

The conference this year was a well-organised, professional event that encouraged the audience and inspired our Montessori minds!

The guest speaker, Dr. Marlene Barron from the West Side Montessori School in Manhattan, New York provided us with much good for thought with provocative ideas in her "Montessori in the Post-Modern World" address. Although many eyebrows were raised, this is what Montessori in South Africa really needs.

We need to see Montessori in terms of the world we live in today. Maria Montessori was a firm believer in man living by his culture - and the culture we live in today is certainly very different from the culture we lived in even 50 years ago.

Interesting points she raised which we can all think about were:
• Are we too set in the idea of giving presentations to the children in the same, stuffy way year in and year out – should we be allowing the children to explore the materials more independently?
• We live in a multi-tasking world. Should we allow the children to leave work out if they are not finished with it and go back to it later?
• What about fairy stories? Fantasy? Are we too 'old world' in our thinking? Are the children being exposed to so much fantasy that it becomes our duty to introduce it in order to clarify it?

Please note that it is not my intention that any of these ideas become truths – I merely put them out as she delivered them. To encourage you to open your minds and think! Even if you stand by what you have always done – the process of questioning what we do is very important.

The conference offered all Montessorians a chance to get together, share ideas and just be among like-minded people for a couple of days.

If you did not come to the conference this year – make every effort next year – it is well worth your while and keeps you up to date with new trends and fresh ideas.

To contact Dr Marlene Barron, email marlene.barron@nyu.edu
For more information about the AMS Centenary Conference, visit www.amshq.org

Good Buys
The SAMA Recommended Curriculum – an integration of A Montessori Recommended Curriculum with the Revised National Curriculum Statement. For queries, email Sam Streak (sam@pemontessori.co.za); To Order contact Tina-Lyn Jones. The cost of the curriculum is R500, printed and bound. The curriculum is available only to paid up SAMA Institutional Members.
SAMA Policies and Procedures CDs – a comprehensive compilation of government laws, acts and policies on CD 1 and examples from various Montessori schools and resources to use in school management on CD 2. The CDs cost R300 each or R500 per set. Contact Tina-Lyn to order. Again, this is only available to SAMA Institutional Members.
Beautiful, full colour Parent Handbooks – are also available to SAMA Institutional members. Compiled by Su Cunningham, these provide a wonderful introduction for new parents and are a great time-saver for School owners. The Handbooks are available for only R25 from Tina-Lynn.
SAMA Winter Fleece Tops – with the "Follow me... I am a Montessori Child" printed on them. They come in navy blue with white printing. This offer is open to all SAMA members. More details from Tina-Lyn.

'The Teacher'
The Teacher newspaper is a wonderful resource for articles and the latest information in South African education. In some areas, the newspaper is provided at no charge and in others, a nominal subscription fee may be charged. It is well-worth it. For more information contact The Teacher directly on 011 250 7423 or fax 011 250 7502.

Interesting Websites to visit
www.stepin.org – especially for Primary schools. STEP stands for Sustainability Technology Education Project and helps children look at the role of technology and sustainability. Some interesting projects to pursue.
www.montessoriconnections.com – more ways to connect to fellow Montessorians.

Find anything interesting on the web? Send us the info so we can tell others.
"Humans beings are the only creatures that allow their children to come back home." – (Bill Cosby)


And to end, just a little humour...
GOD: Frank, you know all about gardens and nature. What in the world is going on down there on the planet? What happened to the dandelions, violets, thistle and stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect, no maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the long lasting blossoms attracts butterflies, honey bees and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of colours by now. But all I see are green rectangles.
ST.FRANCIS: It's the tribes that settled there, Lord. The Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers "weeds" and went to great lengths to kill them and replace them with grass.
GOD: Grass? But it's so boring. It's not colourful. It doesn't attract butterflies, birds and bees, only grubs and sod worms. It's sensitive to temperatures. Do these Suburbanites really want all that grass growing there?
ST.FRANCIS: Apparently so, Lord. They go to great pains to grow it and keep it green. They begin each spring by fertilizing grass and poisoning any other plant that crops up in the lawn.
GOD: The spring rains and warm weather probably make grass grow really fast. That must make the Suburbanites happy.
ST.FRANCIS: Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it grows a little, they cut it – sometimes twice a week.
GOD: They cut it? Do they bail it like hay?
ST.FRANCIS: Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags.
GOD: They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?
ST.FRANCIS: No Sir – just the opposite. They pay to throw it away.
GOD: Now let me get this straight. They fertilize grass so it will grow. And when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw it away?
ST.FRANCIS: Yes, Sir.
GOD: These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work.
ST.FRANCIS: You aren't going to believe this Lord. When the grass stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it.
GOD: What nonsense. At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer stroke of genius, if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide shade in the summer. In the autumn they fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. Plus, as they rot the leaves form compost to enhance the soil. It's a natural circle of life.
ST.FRANCIS: You better sit down, Lord. The Suburbanites have drawn a new circle. As soon as the leaves fall, they rake them into great piles and pay to have them hauled away.
GOD: No. What do they do to protect the shrub and tree roots in the winter and to keep the soil moist and loose?
ST.FRANCIS: After throwing away the leaves, they go out and buy something which they call mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves.
GOD: Where do they get this mulch?
ST.FRANCIS: They cut down trees and grind them up to make mulch.
GOD: Enough. I don't want to think about this anymore. St.Clare, you're in charge of the arts. What movie have you scheduled for us tonight?
ST.CLARE: 'Dumb and Dumber', Lord. It's a real stupid movie about....
GOD: Never mind, I think I just heard the whole story from St.Francis.