Welcoming the new School Year!

The children at Montessori del Mar have started the new 2012/2013 school year with enthusiasm and warm welcome to new friends.

This year we are so very happy to have our new Teacher and Director, Michael Bagiackas, join our Montessori community. (Pictured below with Montessori Mom Alison)

We also have a wonderful and enthusiastic new Food Program Director, Natalie Cotrell. (Pictured below)

Thanks to Parent Volunteer Karen Youngblood, and lots of wonderful parent volunteers, our garden is shaping up to provide our lunch program with nutritious produce grown and nurtured by the children.

The children receive a healthy, gluten free, vegetarian lunch every Monday through Thursday, full of nutritious vegetables and whole grains.

We had the pleasure of welcoming 10 new families to our learning center this past September. Our Montessori family continues to grow as we remain very optimistic about the future!

Our New Educational Lunch Program

Meet Leu Leung, our new Food Program Director.

With a Bachelors degree in Child and Adolescent Development from SFSU, Leu previously held a nutrition educator position at the Edible Schoolyard in Berkeley from 2010 to 2011.

Leu visits our school 4 days a week, Monday through Thursday (Friday is a half day) and teaches the children while preparing kid-friendly, nutritionally well balanced, culturally diverse, vegetarian and gluten-free meals.

Monthly rotating groups of 4 to 6 children work together to prepare lunch for the school.

While preparing lunches, children explore basic concepts of good health and nutrition.

While maintaining her values of simplicity and sustainability, Leu is committed to using unrefined ingredients such as fresh and local fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds.

Using nutritious food and healthy recipes, the children learn to comprehend measurements, build math skills. practice creative problem solving and teamwork.

The students create satisfying meals that they are proud to share.

Leu's dream for the food program at Montessori del Mar is to grow, harvest and prepare food on site.

According to Leu, "Cultivating a connection to the earth is perhaps one of our biggest responsibilities to impart on future generations. Farm-to-school programs succeed at doing just that."

The only question is whether it is more fun for the kids to make the food or eat it!

Thanks Leu!

Montessori del Mar proudly supports the local business of Rising Tide Sea Vegetables and Noyo Hill Farm

Field Trip to The Apple Farm

The Children of Montessori del Mar and Sprouts Montessori Children's House all carpooled over to Philo in November to visit The Apple Farm.

The Children and parents were given a tour of the amazing grounds, including a walk around the farm, garden and orchard. There were goats, chickens, pigs, sheep and horses. Then everyone sampled some apples and had a little fresh pressed apple cider.

After a nice walk and a few treats, we settled down in the warm sun on the back patio and enjoyed a nice lunch with friends.

If you would like more information on The Apple Farm, please visit their website:  The Apple Farm

Our Healthy Classroom

Food preparation is part of the life skills curriculum at Montessori del Mar and this involves care of self and the environment. The children learn about nutritious, healthy foods throughout the year, including preparation, serving and cleaning-up of the daily snack.

Parents are asked to pack minimally processed foods for lunch and anything packaged or containing refined sugar is not welcome in the classroom. The lunchboxes around the classrooms are filled with vegetables, sandwiches fruit and salads.

Parents are asked to pack only healthy, balanced meals in reusable containers that the child can manipulate by him or herself. The learning Center strives for a zero waste lunch.

All snacks during the day are parent contributed and include organic nuts, fruits and vegetables.

We take pride in our healthy classroom!