Our Governor, Nikki Haley, has continued the tradition of recognizing “Montessori Week” by signing the State of South Carolina Governor’s Proclamation.  As we celebrated Montessori across the state and around the world February 22-26, we were able to reflect on the opportunities this educational method offers our students. This amazing educational environment fosters critical thinking skills, creativity, analysis of information, collaboration, problem solving, and decision making, while immersing students in a rich curriculum. With an emphasis on the individual child, teachers are able to guide students in developing their individual strengths and help them follow their passions.

Dr. Maria Montessori on the cover of Time magazine February 3, 1930

Dr. Maria. Montessori, an Italian doctor, scientist, and educator, opened the doors of her first children’s house 109 years ago. Today the Montessori method is the largest pedagogy in the world.  The long standing success and validity of this method is due to the fact that she viewed education through the eyes of a scientist and built her educational model based on human development.  The increase in popularity of her method may be in part due to the change in the skills needed to be successful in the 21st century workforce.

 
Five Oaks Academy is honored to be a part of Dr. Maria Montessori vision of a complete transformation of virtually all assumptions about teaching, learning and childhood. She believed every child is born with a unique potential to be revealed, rather than as a “blank slate” waiting to be written upon. Schedule a tour today to see how Five Oaks Academy will unlock your child’s unique potential!

Thank you Governor Haley for supporting Montessori!!

In January, the Lower Elementary students went to the Peace Center to see Doug Berky’s GEMS: The World’s Wisdom Stories. Doug Berky is a one of a kind storyteller who takes a unique approach to conveying a story to his audience.  His belief that a story should be seen as well as heard is demonstrated in his vivid visual performances using many different types of theater. A mix of puppetry, mime, mask theater, clowning and circus arts are all a part of this one man show. Doug makes his own masks, writes his own scripts, choreographs his own shows, and designs and builds the sets.

To prepare the students for this special experience, Abigail Ehlies, a teaching artist from the Peace Center, came to the Lower Elementary classrooms in early January for pre-show lessons and activities. During this interactive lesson, she read one of Aesop’s Fables and taught the children how to present scenes through tableaux, the art of making still images with bodies to represent a scene.

On the day of the performance at the Peace Center, Doug Berky took the Lower Elementary students on a journey through different time periods and cultures from around the world using his unique storytelling approach. The Lion and the Mouse, a classic Aesop fable from Greece; The Lame Man and the Blind Man, A Sufi tale from the Middle East;  and The Drip Nose Boy, a Native American (Apache) tale, were brought to life during his performance. Our students were captivated by his energy and creativity as they explored these popular historical pieces of literature.

This experience enhanced the rich cultural and literary programs at Five Oaks Academy. Field trips are one of the fun and wonderful ways that we connect our students’ lessons to the world around them.

Please join FOA for the third Parent Artisan Series event of the year on February 11 at 6:00 pm.  This lively social evening will be hosted by Ms. Jill Plumley, Art History Teacher at Five Oaks Academy. She will guide you in creating a one of a kind masterpiece by giving simple, line by line, instruction on how to sketch using vine charcoal. She will then show you interesting techniques to add paint to your project.  This class is for ALL skill levels from beginner to advanced.  It will be a fun project so you don’t want to miss out!  Space is limited!  If you would like to attend this event, kindly respond by clicking on this Eventbrite link to register https://foa-artisanseries-art.eventbrite.com .

The Middle School Program at Five Oaks Academy strives to give students opportunities to understand the business world through meaningful presentations given by experts in their specific fields. This year, our Middle School students have expressed a specific interest in computer design and technology so they contacted ScanSource, Inc, an international distributor of specialty technology products.  ScanSource’s Greg Dixon, Chief Technology Officer,  and Andrew Bougie, 3D Technology Specialist, generously shared their expertise on 3D Printing with the Middle School during a 2 1/2 hour presentation on Monday, December 14.

Mr. Dixon and Mr. Bougie’s informative presentation helped the students understand the history of the manufacturing industry to give them context for the benefits of 3D printers. They discussed how 3D printing technology can currently benefit businesses and the future possibilities of this technology.  Students learned about the layering process that a 3D printer undergoes when creating items, the different types of 3D printers, and the different materials that can be printed 3 dimensionally. They were also able to examine two 3D printers up-close and in detail.  The students were impressed by the different things this cutting edge technology is capable of printing.  They were excited to explore free software that can be used to create their own designs and options of how to outsource the actual printing to companies that specialize in 3D printing, even if they don’t have printers of their own.

Mr. Dixon ended this fascinating presentation by advising the students that rather than memorizing specific facts,  it will benefit them more in the future to develop a good attitude, strong work ethic, and a willingness to learn new things. He shared a story about ScanSource’s decision to explore 3D printing. Everyone chosen for the exploratory team had to have an attitude of adaptability, flexibility, and willingness to teach themselves the necessary details. He also encouraged the students to pay attention in Physics class, since understanding physics unlocks the universe. The Middle School would like to thank Mr. Dixon and Mr. Bougie for their time, effort and information!
As part of the FOA Middle School program, we strive to expose students to different career paths and technologies. In addition to special presentations, students have the opportunity to participate in internships in the Greenville community throughout their 7th and 8th grade years. These students get invaluable experience when shadowing business professionals in areas that interest them most.  In preparation for the internships, our students do mentor-ships on campus their 6th grade year. We invite you to schedule a tour to see how Five Oaks Academy can prepare your child for the real world!

…where students participate in World Cultural Studies that help them understand the global community and appreciate the differences among cultures.

Five Oaks Academy parent, Missy Hammer, visited the Primary classes to share her knowledge about the traditions practiced during the Jewish religious celebration of Hanukkah.  Students learned that Hanukkah spans over 8 days,  the types of food that are a part of the celebration, the symbolism of the menorah, and the tradition of lighting a new branch of the menorah each night of Hanukkah. They also enjoyed learning  and singing the dreidel song.

Five Oaks is proud of the diversity within our community; 31 countries are represented within the FOA student body. The expansive Montessori Cultural Curriculum is enhanced by these special presentations from our families who share their culture. These lessons give our students memorable experiences as well as open their minds to a global understanding of the world in which they live.

Five Oaks Academy holds “Strengths Shows” throughout the year that celebrate the individual strengths and talents of our students.  Our students are given the opportunity to select a strength they possess to share with the entire FOA student body.  We have had an array of acts over the years from singing and playing instruments to juggling, acting skits, karate skill demonstrations, magic shows, and entertaining dance routines.  After they share their strengths, the performers are met with applause and appreciation from their peers.  The Strengths Shows are a wonderful way for students to gain confidence and help them recognize the unique talents and skills they bring to our community.

The idea for the Strengths Show came from Jenifer Fox’s book, Your Child’s Strengths.  In her book, Fox challenges parents and educators to re-examine the way we are educating our children. She suggests elimination of the intense focus on testing, tutoring, and “fixing” children’s weaknesses to improve academic performance.  Fox argues that every child can find success in school, and ultimately in life, if we start focusing on the strengths they have, rather than their weaknesses.  Jenifer Fox’s call for viewing education in a different light, by examining the individual child’s needs and talents, parallels Dr. Maria Montessori’s educational method.

We invite you to schedule a tour to see how Five Oaks Academy can unlock your child’s unique potential!

Thanksgiving Feasts are a wonderful tradition at Five Oaks Academy.  While every program’s traditions vary, all of the classrooms take time to reflect on the many things that we are grateful for in our lives. Gratitude is an important part of our Grace and Courtesy curriculum at FOA. Additionally, research supports a strong link between gratitude and an individual’s happiness because it allows a person to refocus on what they have instead of what is lacking. All of us at Five Oaks are thankful for our wonderful students and parents!

It’s not happiness that brings us GRATITUDE.
It’s gratitude that brings us HAPPINESS.
-Unknown

Photo complements of Guy Adamsons Photography

Since pre-Columbian times, the Day of the Dead, also known as Día de Muertos, has been celebrated in Mexico and other Latin countries around the world. This is not a gruesome, scary, or sad ritual as the name may suggest; it is a beautiful day in which many Latin American countries happily remember their departed loved ones and celebrate their lives, much like when we go to a graveyard to leave flowers on a grave-site.

As part of our Spanish and Culture programs, Five Oaks Academy Elementary and Middle School tudents learn about this special ritual and partake in the ceremonial Day of the Dead bread called pan de muerto, the traditional Mexican sweet bread that symbolizes a fraternal offering to the souls during this celebration.

At Five Oaks Academy, it is important to present our students with these types of authentic cultural experiences so that our students will have a global understanding of the world they live in and develop respect for all individuals. Our unique educational setting, where 31 different countries are represented, cultivates happiness, kindness, knowledge, awareness, and tolerance. 

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Five Oaks Academy presents the second event in our 2015-16 Artisan Series: Cooking with Personal Chef Vince Bienish.  You will enjoy appetizers and drinks while creating your own Asian Chicken Wrap and Signature Cocktail, The Pink Pineapple, with Chef Vince as your guide. Chef Vince is a personal chef who works with many local farms for fresh farm to table ingredients. He will share some of his extensive culinary knowledge and provide helpful cooking tips. There is no charge for this event and it is open to the public. Please join us on November 12, 2015 from 6-7 p.m. Reserve your seat on Eventbrite at   http://tinyurl.com/o724ke2 by Monday, November 9.

Many of our Five Oaks Academy teachers and Administrators headed to Swansea, SC for the 15th Annual South Carolina Montessori Alliance (SCMA) Conference on October 23 and 24.  SCMA is a non-profit leadership organization of individuals representing public and private schools uniting together to enhance the growth of Montessori education in South Carolina. This year’s conference offered dynamic Montessori speakers, interactive workshops and opportunities to share ideas among colleagues. The primary focus of the conference was how to implement and grow STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) programs in our schools for all students, primary through adolescence. The teachers who attended the conference were inspired with many great ideas to share and implement in their classrooms. Five Oaks was pleased to be a sponsor of this year’s SCMA conference along with Lander University.

Five Oaks Academy is very proud that our own Kathleen Trewhella-Grant, FOA’s Executive Director, was asked to be a presenter at this year’s International Montessori Council Conference in Florida. She will present on “Why Happiness Matters”. It is so impressive that her class is at full capacity and registration has been closed.  Conferences are such an important way to grow and expand on best practice in Montessori as well as a way that FOA leaders show their commitment to being life-long learners. The Annual Fund graciously helps support these types of continuing education opportunities for teachers and administrators.