This is the place of my dreams for a traditional Catholic Montessori school. It used to be a spa, and has beautiful wood and tile floors inside. Directly behind are a few beautiful acres for sale as well. This place seems perfect for going from a 3-6 class and growing beyond with the lower, upper elementary and high school grades."Start by doing what is necessary, then do what is possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible." ~ St. Francis of Assisi
I have the following in one of my earlier blog posts titled, Childhood, Pure and True but I will repeat it again below:
-I will leave you with a snippet from the book (there are much more detailed descriptions in the book), in which Maria Montessori is asked what her ideal school set up would be if money were no object:
"Dr. Montessori: I would have a little fountain in the garden with a pond containing fish. The children themselves would look after the fish, and I would have a little tablet near the pond - a replica of one of the ancient inscriptions from the catacombs showing the fish as the ancient symbol of Christianity.
Question: Where would you have your pond?
Dr. Montessori: In the cloister garden. You told me that expense was to be no object! So, adjoining the Atrium, I would have a special garden for the children. The ideal thing would be to have the school arranged like a monastery round a little cloister. The church could be on one side, the Atrium on another, and on the other two the ordinary schoolrooms. I would have statues at the end of the cloister walks to which the children could bring flowers. The children could play in the cloister garden, and I would like a tree in it with a little house up in the branches into which the children could climb, as they had in one school I visited in California. In this garden I would like the children to keep as many as possible of the Evangelical Animals and Plants.
Question: What do you mean by the "evangelical" animals and plants?Dr. Montessori: I mean the various animals and plants that play a conspicuous part in Bible history and symbolism. For instance I would like the children to have a pet lamb to remind them of the "Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." They could have a dovecot and keep doves, because of the two turtle-doves our Lady offered up at the Temple, and the dove that was sent out of the Ark and also because the dove is the symbol of the Holy Spirit. They could keep bees, too, and have some candles made with the wax their own bees had made. These could be blessed and placed on their school altar. Nature study would form an essential element in the work of the Atrium. In my description of our work at Barcelona I have indicated the reason for this, viz., that from the observation of created things the child's mind should be raised to their Creator. As the psalmist says: "The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth His handiwork."
-The Child in the Church by Maria Montessori and others, Edited by E.M. Standing- pp. 40-41.
"Dr. Montessori: I would have a little fountain in the garden with a pond containing fish. The children themselves would look after the fish, and I would have a little tablet near the pond - a replica of one of the ancient inscriptions from the catacombs showing the fish as the ancient symbol of Christianity.
Question: Where would you have your pond?
Dr. Montessori: In the cloister garden. You told me that expense was to be no object! So, adjoining the Atrium, I would have a special garden for the children. The ideal thing would be to have the school arranged like a monastery round a little cloister. The church could be on one side, the Atrium on another, and on the other two the ordinary schoolrooms. I would have statues at the end of the cloister walks to which the children could bring flowers. The children could play in the cloister garden, and I would like a tree in it with a little house up in the branches into which the children could climb, as they had in one school I visited in California. In this garden I would like the children to keep as many as possible of the Evangelical Animals and Plants.
Question: What do you mean by the "evangelical" animals and plants?Dr. Montessori: I mean the various animals and plants that play a conspicuous part in Bible history and symbolism. For instance I would like the children to have a pet lamb to remind them of the "Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." They could have a dovecot and keep doves, because of the two turtle-doves our Lady offered up at the Temple, and the dove that was sent out of the Ark and also because the dove is the symbol of the Holy Spirit. They could keep bees, too, and have some candles made with the wax their own bees had made. These could be blessed and placed on their school altar. Nature study would form an essential element in the work of the Atrium. In my description of our work at Barcelona I have indicated the reason for this, viz., that from the observation of created things the child's mind should be raised to their Creator. As the psalmist says: "The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth His handiwork."
-The Child in the Church by Maria Montessori and others, Edited by E.M. Standing- pp. 40-41.
Maybe you should start a Novena to St. Elizabeth Seton? This is a beautiful spot!
ReplyDeleteThanks Cheryl!
ReplyDeleteThat's great advice :)