Fall 2007 Meeting
 Erdkinder Field Trip: The Montessori Adolescent

On Saturday, October 27, we'll gather for the GPMS Fall 2007 Meeting. We'll continue to honor the first hundred-year cycle of Maria Montessori's method in action while anticipating the next. Help us celebrate the beauty of Montessori's creation, and sow the seeds of the future, by joining us on a private tour and presentation at Hershey Montessori Farm School.

After the two-hour drive, we'll arrive at The Farm School at 10:00 AM, and our guide, Assistant Head of School Laurie Ewert-Krocker, will help us reflect on the first century of Montessori education, and envision the next.

As a longtime teacher and program designer, Laurie has deep and powerful insight to share with us about the experience of the adolescent whose school is based on Dr. Montessori's belief that education should include "the two forms of work, manual and intellectual, for the same person, and thus make it understood by practical experience that these two kinds complete each other and are equally essential to a civilized existence."

We'll have lunch together after the two-hour visit to discuss our observations, and then we'll return to Pittsburgh, arriving at approximately 3:30 that afternoon. Feel free to visit http://198.173.74.231/Farm/index.htm for more information about Hershey Montessori Farm School in Huntsburg, Ohio.

For current GPMS members, there is no charge to attend so click here to renew, or apply for, membership today. Please simply note on your membership form whether or not you would like to participate in the October 27 tour. Once we know how many members will be taking advantage of this opportunity to visit The Farm School, we'll decide on the appropriate form of transportation and morning meeting place.

Click Here to Join Us! 

 Montessori Training in Pittsburgh
 Developments in CMTE/NY's Proposed Course

CMTE/NY is hoping to bring their Montessori training program to the Pittsburgh area in 2008-09. It will take 20 firm commitments for the Early Childhood certification and 20 for the Elementary certification to make this program a reality. Please contact Michelle Hartye at mahartye@aol.com by October 26 to bring this quality teacher education program to Pittsburgh. Says Michelle, "By sending several teachers to this course, you will be preparing your school for the future."

 

 Executive Board Message
 Introductions, Media Library and 2007 Member Ballots

Your new board members are pleased to be working with you to support Greater Pittsburgh Montessori Society's mission. Here are three of our introductions; you'll meet Vice Chair Jennifer Sekerchak and Corresponding Secretary Mindy Forsythe in the Spring 2008 issue of Montessori Messenger. We encourage you to contact us with any questions or suggestions you might have. We're here to help!

Having earned an Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) diploma from Washington Montessori Institute and a master's degree in Montessori Education from Loyola College in Maryland, Chair Daisy Klaber directed several early childhood classroom environments before retiring to start Household Harmony, a company dedicated to providing activities for families to share. She also works as Manager of Communications at a small technology consulting firm on Pittsburgh's South Side, and volunteers with several service organizations locally.

Recording Secretary Roberta Coutinho comes from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil so her native language is Portuguese. She lived in California for two years, and for the past six, she has been living in Pittsburgh. Having graduated from college in Brazil with a major in Psychology, before she moved to the United States, she worked in the Human Resources field. In 2002, she moved to Pittsburgh and worked as a babysitter for several families, and also taught Portuguese. She is taking the Distance Learning Course through Montessori Centre International in London and will graduate next year. She recently started her job as Assistant Teacher at Mount Lebanon Montessori Academy.

Treasurer Seth Johnson is currently a Lower Elementary teacher at Montessori Children's Community in Sewickley, PA. He has been working with 6- to 9-year-olds for the past seven years and received his American Montessori Society (AMS) Elementary I Certification through Houston Montessori Center. He also holds a bachelor's degree in Music from Indiana University at Bloomington and a master's in Curriculum and Instruction through Baylor University in Waco, Texas. His interests and hobbies include peace education, ecology, tennis and playing his French horn with local groups.

We've started a new GPMS Media Lending Library, which we exhibited at the April 21 Spring 2007 Meeting. Let us know what you'd like us to purchase next!

GPMS Members, please contact Immediate Past Chair Peggy Ward to receive, or cast, your 2007 ballot.

Click Here to Ask About the GPMS Ballot! 

 What Do You Think?
 GPMS Wants to Know

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