Category: Lower Elementary

The Great Lessons are presented in a specific order, every year, so that children may experience these large concepts over and over again, thus solidifying the big picture stories they convey, as well as inspiring curiosity and a sense of wonder at the beginning of the school year. Before learning about the advent of written … Continue reading “The Fourth Great Lesson: The History of Writing”

The Fort Builders use muscle and mental power, individual and communal strength; they make rules, break rules, argue, agree, build, and imagine. There is more involved than first meets the eye in building these forts – these spaces that children return to, build on to, and take pride in time and time again. Below, a … Continue reading “The Fort Builders”

September at Villa di Maria is one of the most beautiful months! The campus is a gorgeous mix of color. Everything is still green and lush, with the first autumn colors sneaking through; along with the colorful blooms planted last spring that are nearing their end and the abundance of butterflies that visit them, the … Continue reading “September at Villa di Maria”

“No matter what we touch, an atom, or a cell, we cannot explain it without knowledge of the wide universe.  What better answer can be given to those seekers for knowledge?  It becomes doubtful whether even the universe will suffice.  How did it come into being?  How will it end?  A greater curiosity arises, which … Continue reading “The Great Lessons”

Welcome to the second week of school! We hope you enjoyed the long holiday weekend. Don’t forget to check your email under last week’s Wednesday Notes for this week’s upcoming events: the Parent Association meeting on Thursday and Coffee in the Cabin on Friday. We’d love to have extra parents involved this year, especially as … Continue reading “Reading”