Board & Community Meeting Minutes April 1, 2014

Mission: To provide an exceptional Montessori education to all children and their families, encouraging a lifelong love of learning and active participation in their communities and the world.

Vision: We create a more peaceful world by developing conscientious citizens who approach their world with confidence, creativity and collaboration.

Values: Diversity, Independence, Joy, Passion & Respect

1. Opening Thoughts (5 min)

The meeting opened at 6:20 p.m. In attendance were: Kate McSpadden, Mary Evelyn Bowling, Elaine Steinbeck, Trevor Eissler, Tonya Hiland, Leigh Anna Martinets, and Karen Stapley. Colin Bowling was a guest presenter.

Elaine shared inspirational thoughts. From the latest Montessori journal, she shared the story of the White Cross. In 1917, Maria Montessori conceptualized the White Cross Society. It was to bring aid to the children who were victims of the war. The White Cross worker possessed the skills of a teacher, nurse and psychologist. Their goal was to help children through the traumas of living with war.

2. Motion to approve March minutes: Kate McSpadden (5 min)

Kate asked if anyone had any comments or changes to the minutes. There were none. Trevor moved to approve the minutes. Elaine seconded the motion. All voted in favor.

3. Children’s Newsletter: Children (10 min)

Colin Bowling presented the children's newsletter. He shared the process that he, Kira Bowling, and Grace McSpadden went through to write, edit, and publish it. There was some discussion about how other children could participate. At the end of each submission in the April issue is a contact for submitting copy for the upcoming May issue. There were questions about distribution. Colin indicated that the children wanted to mail the newsletter to the families involved. The group decided to request physical mailing addresses. The next newsletter will come out on Tuesday May 6, at our next Board/Community meeting. The plan is to mail this one to families. Tonya Hiland has funded the initial mailing.

4. Fundraising: Kate McSpadden (20 min)

Kate indicated that soon we will need to begin fundraising. She passed out a presentation titled “Board Roles." She has done some research on the Board’s responsibility for fundraising. Kate shared the importance of 100 percent participation from board members. Kate shared that fundraising is critical at this point. We have to have funds to get through the application phase. Geovanna Ricaldi, our fundraising Charter Development Chair is currently in the middle of a large campaign. Soon, she will be able to begin working with us on a more regular basis. We also plan to invite John Lyon, Associate Director of the Chasco Y, to discuss the Y’s approach to fundraising.

5. Marketing & Communications Update: Kathy Anthony (5 min)

Kathy Anthony presented the conversation cards that she created and had printed. Each member may use them when they are in discussion with others about our mission and goals. They were distributed to everyone present. Kathy also shared that the website is nearly ready to launch. It will be a work in progress but we will have something to present soon. Kate expressed gratitude for the presentation materials that Kathy prepared for the meeting at the end of March with Southwestern University.

6. Community Outreach Update (10 min)

Texas State University: Kate shared that Joan Morieta from Texas State University was able to talk with the administration about partnering with us to do a lab school. An endeavor like that is not in the University's plans at this point. Joan, however, is still interested in being involved with us. We will meet with her in early April to discuss the possibilities.

Southwestern University: Kate met with Dr. Jim Hunt of Southwestern University. His passion is teacher training. SU is also not in a position to do a lab school. They have an average of 12 education students per year. He does intend to put us in touch with the head of the education department so that we can explore possible ways to work with them.

United Way: United Way is hosting the Community Impact Summit on 4/22. Several members plan to attend. We hope to gain information that will assist us in determining the best location for our first site.

YMCA of Greater Williamson County: YMCA- we are planning on meeting with the Y sometime in May or June. They are currently in the middle of their annual campaign and all of their resources are taken up with that.

Project Plan: Mary Evelyn Bowling shared the Project Plan for the Charter Application. The plan/timeline begins in July of 2013 when the original group of founders began to meet. It goes through the opening of the first campus in 2016. The plan is very broad at this point, but gives a picture of what we need to focus on and when

7. AMS Conference Update (10 min)

The National AMS conference was held in Dallas in March. There were 2,800 people in attendance. Kate McSpadden attended sessions on Montessori in the public sector. Kate learned that it is difficult to start a charter school anywhere. But it is much harder in some places than others. She attended a session on high stakes testing. Some schools are beginning to oppose standardized testing, and there is a movement of people who are "opting out" of such tests. There is a school in Connecticut that that has begun an official movement opposing this testing. They have a website and Facebook page. Mary Evelyn added that Kira is writing a paper in Language Arts about this exact topic. When she finishes the final draft, we will post it on the blog and Facebook page. We will also give a copy to Trevor Eissler to distribute amongst the Montessori community.

8. New Business (5 min)

There was discussion about private schools changing to charter schools and also about ISDs opening charter schools.

9. Adjourn

Mary Evelyn moved to adjourn at 7:50. Trevor seconded the motion. All voted in favor.

Board & Community Meeting Minutes - March 4, 2014

Mission: To provide an exceptional Montessori education to all children and their families, encouraging a lifelong love of learning and active participation in their communities and the world.

Vision: We create a more peaceful world by developing conscientious citizens who approach their world with confidence, creativity and collaboration.  

Values: Diversity, Independence, Joy, Passion & Respect

1. Opening Thoughts  

The meeting opened at 6:29 p.m. Board members in attendance were: Kate McSpadden, Mary Evelyn Bowling, Elaine Steinbeck and Trevor Eissler. Mary Evelyn Bowling began with a quote from Antoine de Saint-Exupery. 

2. Motion to approve January & February minutes - Kate McSpadden  

Kate McSpadden asked for a motion to approve Board minutes from January and February. Kate McSpadden made a correction to the mission. The last words "in their world" were inadvertently omitted. Mary Evelyn Bowling made a correction to the date referenced as 4/4/14 in the February minutes in the section about emails. Trevor Eissler motioned to approve the minutes with the changes. Elaine Steinbeck seconded the motion. All voted in favor of the motion. 

3. Motion to approve Bylaws - Kate McSpadden  

Kate McSpadden asked for a motion to approve the changes in the bylaws. The group discussed the change. The revised bylaws omit the section referencing the giving of grants by WilCo Montessori Partners (WCMP). Kate McSpadden asked for a motion to approve Bylaws. Trevor Eissler made a motion to approve the amended bylaws. Elaine Steinbeck seconded the motion. All voted in favor of the motion. 

4. Charter Development Team Update - Elaine Steinbeck  

Elaine Steinbeck shared that she that she was not able to contribute to the EPPT in the leadership role the way she wanted. She explained that her expertise is birth to 3 and not necessarily elementary and middle school years. She wants to focus her attention on her primary business, Best Start. Judith Kemper will assume some of the responsibilities of leadership for the EPPT for a while.

Why More Public Schools Are Adopting the Montessori Model

Austin's KUT explores how Montessori methods are growing in public school settings.

http://kut.org/post/why-more-public-schools-are-adopting-montessori-model

Community Meeting Minutes 2/4/14

WilCo Montessori Partners

Community Meeting Agenda

February 4, 2014 

Mission: To provide an exceptional Montessori education to all children and their families, encouraging a lifelong love of learning and active participation in their communities.

Vision: We create a more peaceful world by developing conscientious citizens who approach their world with confidence, creativity and collaboration.

Values: Diversity, Independence, Joy, Passion & Respect

1.     Welcome New Members - Mary Evelyn Bowling — We all introduced ourselves and shared our connection with Montessori and the group. We welcomed a new member, Claire Kosckacovich. Kate shared that her interests lie in creating a legacy for other children.

2.     501c3 Status - Kate McSpadden — The 501c3 paperwork has been submitted and was received on 1/30. We anticipate a 3-6 month approval. When communicating about Wilco Montessori Partners, we can state that we are a 501c3, pending.

3.     Demographics - Kate McSpadden — Omitted. Please see Board minutes dated 2/4/14.

4.     Public Relations Update - Kathy Anthony — Kate shared the PR update as Kathy was not able to attend the meeting. Kathy Anthony is a founder and former Montessori Parent. She has worked many years for public schools in communications and public relations. She has created a comprehensive plan for us to follow as we develop our school and become involved in the community. The blog and FB page are up. We are researching the development of a website.

Charter Development Team Minutes for 2/12/14

Demographics

We reviewed the demographic information and student numbers discussed in the February Board and Community meetings. The numbers of children ages 5-18 in Hutto/Taylor and Killeen make these two areas very good locations for our second and third campuses. There are very few educational choices for families in these areas, which strengthens the argument for locating in and serving these communities.

Generation 19 Application

The Generation 19 charter school application is out. It is much more streamlined than previous years’ applications. It only allows for a 60-page narrative regarding the educational plan. The overview must be kept to four pages. The State Board of Education is also looking for more data and research to substantiate the application. Previously, there were no limits on the length of the document.

University Relationships

Earlier in the week, Mary Evelyn and Kate met with Joan Morieta. Joan is a professor of education at Texas State University in San Marcos and Round Rock. Joan is a firm believer in the Montessori Method and is very familiar with its philosophies. She has been involved in Montessori through her grandchildren who attended Montessori and also as a substitute teacher in the classrooms. We discussed the many ways that we could work with TSRR and Joan. One idea presented by Kathy was the possibility of a dual certification path for teachers: State Certification and Montessori certification. Joan will arrange a meeting with the Assistant Director at the Round Rock campus.

Community Outreach

Kate has a meeting with the United Way next week to learn more about the area’s social service profile and needs.

Conversation Cards

Kathy will send our some ideas to the group for comment.

Meet the Wilco Montessori Partners Board

Wilco Montessori Partners is proud to introduce its Board of Directors. With backgrounds in Montessori philosophy and practice, these individuals are guiding the process to develop a charter Montessori school in Williamson County, Texas.

Kate McSpadden, President

Kate has been a Montessori parent for seven years, and served on the Board of Directors of Community Montessori School in Georgetown, Texas, where she was president and marketing committee chair. Other community service includes Ride On Center for Kids and Seeds of Strength. Professionally, Kate has been a real estate agent with Keller Williams Realty, representing properties in Georgetown and Round Rock. Earlier, she worked in the entertainment industry in New York and Los Angeles for 18 years, including positions with NBC's cable division (providers of MSNBC and CNBC), FOX Sports Networks, and the on-demand entertainment network, Intertainer.

Mary Evelyn Bowling, Secretary

Mary Evelyn Bowling holds a bachelors degree from Vanderbilt University in Education. She enrolled her twin toddlers in Community Montessori School, knowing that they would thrive in the community. She served the school as a board member and led several committees including fundraising, community events, and classroom support. She soon joined a lower elementary classroom as the guides’ assistant. After three years in the classroom, Mary Evelyn joined the administrative staff as Associate Director, where she worked for four years. Prior to working in the Montessori environment, Mary Evelyn worked for the YMCA for nearly 20 years. She began in Program Development and Management, worked in Volunteer Development, worked as Associate Director and as Director of a satellite branch. She served as a board member and president of the Austin YMCA for several years. She is a substitute teacher and volunteer at Meridian School. She is also involved in USA Swimming as a club coach and team volunteer.

Angela Washburn, Treasurer

Angela began her Montessori journey 15 years ago when her oldest child entered the Toddler program at Community Montessori School. Her three children all attended CMS and are now in public schools in Georgetown. She served on the CMS board as treasurer. Angela is the owner of a small CPA accounting and tax firm in Georgetown.  She has been practicing as a Certified Public Accountant for more than 25 years and as a business owner for 17 years. Prior to venturing out on her own and establishing her accounting practice, she worked in the audit department of Ernst & Young and then as a Corporate Accounting Manager at a Fortune 500 company. Angela received a BBA degree with a major in Accounting and a minor in Marketing from The University of Texas, Austin. Angela is committed to community service, especially to those causes that serve women and children. She has worked with numerous non-profit organizations, including Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Junior Achievement, Wellspring United Methodist Church Preschool, Empowering Women as Leaders, and Habitat for Humanity. She is a graduate of the Leadership Georgetown program sponsored by the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce.  

Trevor Eissler, Member

Trevor is the author of Montessori Madness! A Parent to Parent Argument for Montessori Education, as well as three Montessori-themed children's books: 4,962,571, That 17th Hat, and N is for North Korea. He has traveled in the U.S. and internationally, speaking with parent groups about Montessori education. Trevor is the co-founder of the Montessori Madmen, an advocacy group composed of dads around the country. He is a business jet pilot and flight instructor at Netjets, and owner of Georgetown Paintball. Trevor is married and has three children who attended Community Montessori School in Georgetown.

Elaine Steinbeck, Member

Elaine is a Montessori guide certified by the Association Montessori International, and is owner of Best Start Birth 2 Three, a Montessori home resource for parents, located in Georgetown. For 17 years, she was an infancy guide at Community Montessori School where she was also a parent, board member, and volunteer. She assisted in the design of Casita environments and in developing Transition to Primary guidelines, and led successful parent education sessions several times per year. Elaine also is an Integral Hatha Yoga instructor.

'Sensitive Periods' Lead Child to Learning

 “Supposing I said there was a planet without schools or teachers, study was unknown, and yet the inhabitants—doing nothing but living and walking about—came to know all things, to carry in their minds the whole of learning: would you not think I was romancing? Well, just this, which seems so fanciful as to be nothing but the invention of a fertile imagination, is a reality. It is the child’s way of learning. This is the path he follows. He learns everything without knowing he is learning it, and in doing so passes little by little from the unconscious to the conscious, treading always in the paths of joy and love.” Maria Montessori

So now, we discuss the sensitive periods which lead the child to learn in the most natural way by following her inborn tendency to explore. We are born with sensitivities to explore specific paths from birth. We are born with the ability to hear, immediately becoming aware in some way of sounds all around us, the voices (soft spoken, gentle), the rustling of clothing, perhaps gentle music, and the very soft ticking of a clock. The senses connect the inner life with the physical environment outside of ourselves. We are able to experience enrichment by using our senses.

“…it is in this period of development (of the senses) that the basic ideas and habits of the intelligence are formed.” (MM in “The Discovery of the Child”)

The infant is right away drawn to the sounds of voices murmuring words. Since before birth, there has been this sound that now has become more audible — not muffled so much. The words are absorbed into the infant’s not yet conscious mind to remain always. Within a very short period of time, the infant can begin to relate and even respond to certain words, the tone in which they are spoken and the person who is speaking them.

In yet another short period of time, the infant begins to mouth as she sees others speaking, their mouths forming words. The unconscious effort to speak has begun. This effort, or drive will continue throughout life as this person grows, continuing to learn speech, perhaps several languages, always honing her skill.

But, never again will the acquisition be so effortless, natural, and automatic. During this sensitive period when language is acquired through unconscious effort, this person can acquire multiple languages as her native tongue when hearing them spoken in their native voice. It is most important for this infant to hear each language spoken by one born to that language.

There are sensitive periods for learning regarding all the senses. We want to expose the child to materials developed for the senses of tactile or touch, smell, sight, sound, and taste. These materials are only “keys” to unlock the potential and awareness of a child’s sensitive periods for each area. Lessons are offered with beautifully designed wood, fabrics, jars, color (natural or only primary red, yellow, and blue) bottles, and spoons. Does this not entice you to see a child enjoying his work with such lovely objects, learning without knowing he is doing so? He is only following his inner guide, exploring because he is driven to do so simply by virtue of the fact these items are placed and carefully, diligently, knowingly in such ways as to draw him to them. He cannot resist.

In the first three years, the child indiscriminately takes in all that is in her environment, classifying everything. There is a wealth of information absorbed in this period. By unconsciously relying on the strong sense of order, the child classifies her impressions with essential qualities of each object including essences of coldness, heat, softness, size, color, sound, etc. These innumerable impressions are brought into order or classification so she can make sense out of chaos.

The child, through ardent exploration, needs a road that is limited and direct, leading him to his objective while protecting him from wearying derivations. Compare this to the thought of a large library with no cataloging of the books. There are innumerable books available, but no way to determine where any specific information is located. 

 Bold, loud, brightly colored, very visual qualities may lessen the essence of fine, delicate aesthetics the world presents all around us. The delicate differences may not be distinguishable if one is drawn by sharp sensations to arouse interest and joy. In fact, strong, bold stimulation does not make awareness stronger, but rather tends to weaken the senses, thus demanding even stronger stimulation.

As the child’s world of exploration expands, she is introduced to lessons developed for her individual sensitive periods for learning through movement, language, music, math, reading, history, geography, and science. These periods present in varying order for each child. To some degree, there is a pattern and the environment is arranged accordingly.

— By Judith Kemper