Making
school cool again
Rebecca Higgins believes children are never too young for a fresh education. At her Heritage Montessori Preschool, she gives them a thorough education and independence to match.
Higgins' Heritage Montessori Preschool combines traditional, increasingly popular Montessori education ideas with Waldorf Education creativity. The combined theories create a unique learning approach in a small environment that is valuable to her young pupils.
"Preschool age is a step away from home, so it shouldn't feel institutionalized," she said. "My school is home-based, so it feels warm and comfortable. Plus, we keep enrollment small because one-on-one education is so important."
Higgins, born and raised in Ghana, West Africa, studied her embraced theories at the Montessori World Educational Institute in Cambria. She learned the basics for running such an alternative education, such as making all materials accessible and letting the materials do the real teaching. A staple of Montessori education is watching children interact in the various sections of the classroom; they include language, botany, geography, practical life, and math areas. Children learn to identify shapes and colors, sew, recognize plant species, and match like objects. On the Waldorf side of the school, budding artists play with clay, beeswax, and colors and enjoy both indoor and outdoor classrooms.
"This education allows children to create a love of learning without even realizing it," she said. "The Montessori materials guide them into making logical and creative judgments, and they become confident. They learn that this is their environment and this is the world."
The Heritage Montessori School is open 9 a.m.-3 p.m. in SLO. Extended hours are also offered. For more information, call 235-5589.
FAST FACTS
The Family Center in Arroyo Grande wants dads to learn the ropes. It offers three free seminars to help fathers "do more of what matters most." Sept. 28: "Father: the most underrated job on Earth" discusses the mistaken idea that dads are not absolutely necessary in the lives of children. Oct. 11: "How to Become a Hero: Because every child deserves to have a dad worth looking up to" explores the idea of teaching children proper values and how to earn trust. All sessions begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Family Center, located at 129 E. Branch in Arroyo Grande. For more information, call 474-8777.
Volunteers are needed for the Land Conservancy of SLO County's 13th Annual Creek Day. Workers are encouraged to clean up local water sites and help minimize the garbage that will flow into the ocean later. Exhibitors will also display plants, fish, birds, and bats in a family-friendly fair. The Creek Day is Sept. 25 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m in Mission Plaza. For more information, call 544-9096.
The Holistic Healing Program, now offered in Arroyo Grande, is a powerful and enlightening way to invigorate the body, emotions, mind, and spirit. The self-healing workshop gives the basics for opening holistic practices upon graduation with the titles of Certified Holistic Healer of Minister of Holistic Healing. No prior training needed. Course subjects include holistic hypnotherapy, neurolinguistic programming, Gestalt therapy, and Ericksonian approaches. For more information, call 489-9315.
Kukui's Smoothie and Espresso Bar brings cheap goodies to Foothill Boulevard on Sept. 26. The Hawaiian-themed juice bar, located at Club 24 Fitness, celebrates its grand opening with free smoothies from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Kukui's also serves fresh juices, coffee, teas, and Boba drinks. For more information, call 783-2287.
Calendar Editor Stacey Anderson compiled this week's Strokes and
Plugs. E-mail suggestions to [email protected].
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