Inside Lunch

The Children’s Garden has been dry and dusty for weeks now, and the ground and plants are grateful for the rain. For the children, this means indoor lunch. We still try to go outside to play, as long as it is not pouring rain, because playing in the rain is fun; but, eating in the rain is no fun at all, and so we bring it inside and elevate the whole experience!

Inside lunch means tables set with plates and cups, napkins and silverware, pitchers of water, often flowers and a hand towel to clean up at the end. The older children set the longer work tables into groups of 3 or 4 and we have one really long table that seats 8 and all the littles sit together at that one, because the chairs fit them so well. There are almost 20 children who stay for lunch and it is a lovely experience to look around and see our community laughing, chewing and enjoying each other.

After the children transfer their lunch from their Bento boxes or containers onto a plate, they wait patiently for everyone to set out their lunch. One person is designated to light the lunch candle and then we sing our Renaissance grace and recite the more traditional, “Bless us O Lord…”  and then finish with, “Bon Appetite, you may eat!” 

Our "Renaissance Grace"’ has a history with our school. Many of you know that Mr. Sean Garvey is the President of our Board of Directors, and that he and his family were one of the founders of our school. Mr. Garvey was Head of School when I came to Renaissance in 2014 and had been for many years. It was his sister who shared with me during a Catechesis course that their father had written a blessing song, “Here a joyful child I stand. Holding out my either hand, for a benison, to fall, on our meat and on us all.” (Note: a ‘benison’ is a blessing; 2nd Note: I changed the word ‘Meat’ to ‘Meal’ with permission). In 2018, when I was in the Young Children’s Community (16mo to 3y) here at Renaissance, I began to sing that song during the communal meal and I brought it with me to the Children’s House when I “moved up” in 2019. Mrs. Nguyen has kept the tradition in the Young Children’s Community and we have held it here as well. When Mrs. May joined RMS and our community expanded to two classrooms, she adopted the tradition as well.

In the first days of inside lunch, while the new children are learning what to do, it is a little disorganized and messy, but I know from many previous years experience, that the children figure out what to do quickly, the older ones take the time to clean and even mop under the tables when we are finished, and once we are seated and eating it will truly be a beautiful lunch. 

After all is set up and we are ready to begin, I ring the bell for silence, one of the children lights the candle and we all sing our blessing. My heart is very full because I too, have a strong awareness that, here a joyful child I stand, holding out my hand for a blessing on my meal and on this beautiful community of little people.

Let's Play in the Rain

The Young Children’s House is embracing the fall-like weather, rain, and special moments.  This week has been fun! The fall weather has been such a treat—cool and crisp, with that perfect autumn feeling that makes being outside extra enjoyable. And the children? They’ve been fully embracing the season with open arms, finding joy in every little moment.

Their attention has been drawn to something as simple as acorns, and it’s been incredible to watch. Every morning, they’ve spent hours outside gathering and collecting them. You should see how carefully they pick them up—sometimes cradling them in their hands or even stuffing their pockets, clothes, buckets, and wheelbarrows. It’s like a treasure hunt that never ends! They’ve been counting them over and over (and usually losing track, only to start again), completely fascinated by how acorns fall from the branches or hide beneath the grass. It’s been wonderful to see their curiosity and teamwork in action—some working side by side, others independently, all lost in the wonder of this simple fall activity. There are so many acorns around that it feels like they could explore them forever!

And today, despite the rain, the children didn’t miss a beat. It was raining, but they were just as eager to be outside. Honestly, they didn’t mind getting wet at all! For many of them, it seemed like the rain added an extra layer of fun—splashing in the puddles, watching the droplets fall, and getting completely soaked with joy. It reminded me of how much they enjoy our water activities, except this time, they were playing with the rain itself. Their enthusiasm was contagious, and it’s a great reminder to dress your child for all kinds of weather, because no matter what’s happening outside, they are always ready to dive in and explore!

We also had a special moment this week that I’m happy to share with you. We introduced the lighting of the candle at our prayer table, which felt particularly meaningful. Although most of our prayer services have been outside, this week we gathered indoors for this moment, and the flickering candlelight seemed to captivate the children in a way that was contemplative. There was something about the gentle glow of the flame that held their attention—it was peaceful and I could see how much they were drawn to it. It was a simple, yet beautiful, moment that brought a calm reflective ponder to our morning.

I’m so grateful to see how much the children are getting from their time outdoors and from these shared experiences. As we move deeper into fall, I’m excited to see what other discoveries await and what the children will reveal to us adults. From acorns to rainy-day adventures to moments of quiet reflection, this season has already brought so much joy, and I know there’s more to come!

A Year in the Life - Primary Week Two

In our Children's House, we refine and improve our little society throughGrace and Courtesy. The little skits performed by Senora Medina and I during our morning gathering are exaggerated and sometimes funny so they capture the children's attention and then they want to act and speak in these ways, too. Grace and Courtesy is also established through modeling and clear language by the adults and older children. 
 
What is Grace? A beautiful, unmerited gift that we receive from God to remain with Him. When I think of someone who is 'Full of Grace,' our Blessed Mother comes to my mind. So, how might she be a model for us in our daily interactions with children? I have often wondered how she might have responded when the child Jesus sneezed or tried to get up from the table before the meal was finished or ran off in a different direction. Surely, he needed to learn how to do things in the right way. How did she respond?  How did she teach him?
 
Courtesy is how we extend that gift to others through refinement of our movements, our words, our tone of voice and the overall consideration of others.

In our children's formative years, they are absorbing the behaviors and manners modeled by the adults and children around them, and therefore Grace and Courtesy is essential to the peacefulness and respect in our environments: school, home, play yards or wherever we are. Before the age of two and a half, children are taking everything in (we refer to them as an Unconscious Worker) so we want to give them all that is true, good and beautiful. Between 2 and 1/2 and 6, they are more conscious of their actions and those around them, and are refining all of these inputs and taking in more still! They refine by practicing their tone of voice, their actions, their language, how to treat others in social situations and what is acceptable and not acceptable.
 
(Here I will add...It is especially good to remember that when choosing shows or any media inputs for your children at home, these should also reflect the courtesy that you want your child to be absorbing!)

In our classroom we are trying to establish a culture of respect towards others through mindfulness of these virtues and details. When the teachers and parents are mindful of their own words, tone of voice, and movements the children respond in these same ways. When I give my full attention to a presentation using the materials and cleaning up to prepare something for the next person to use, the children do this too. When I make sure the classroomistidy and beautiful or notice when children are hurt or sad, the children notice too. They are watching everything we do and repeating everything we say.

Some examples ofGraceand courtesy skits that we offer:

• How to say, " excuse me " when passing by someone;

• How to put your sneeze inside your elbow and saying, " God bless you" to someone who sneezes;

• How to wait for a teacher's attention when she is busy with someone else;

• How to walk around a work mat that is on the floor so that we don't step on somebody else's work;

• How to open and close a door quietly;

• How to observe others working in the environment;

• How to walk on by someone who is working without disturbing them;

• How to put a heart on your table or work mat when you need help from a friend.

Dr Montessori recognized that children will be naughty at times, and warned their adults (parents and caregivers) not to give into these irritations with harsh language or actions, because it breaks down relationships, whichisfoundational for young children. Instead, model and show childrenwhatto doin different situations and they will happier and more compliant in the long run... and parentingis, by the way... a long run.