Category Archives: For Parents

Update: Summer Camps

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We are gearing up for the summer camps coming up in June! We’ve got a few spaces left if you’re still looking for an affordable way for your children to have a memorable, inspiring, and fun summer. Each week, we will have fun, hands-on activities, theme-based projects, and lots of great books and games. We even have a few awesome field trips up our sleeves! At $175/week, it’s one of the most affordable summer options in Austin. Email us at soleil.school@gmail.com.

Here are pictures from our newly planted garden! Looking forward to more fun with soil and plants during camp.

Free Hula Hoop-Making Class!

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If you’ve ever wanted to make a customized hula hoop, this is for you! You may even learn a cool hooping trick or two. Join us Saturday, April 7th from 1-3 pm for our Hula Hoop-Making Class. Fun for the whole family. Open to the public, kids AND adults are welcome.

Don’t forget to RSVP at soleil.school@gmail.com, and be sure to include how many adults and children will participate.

Summer Camp Schedule

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We are happy to post The Soleil School Summer Camp Schedule! Summer Camps will run from 8:30-2:00, Monday-Friday at a very competitive price. We will be exploring each area of the classroom week by week. Look forward to hands-on fun and lots of cool projects! For more details and pricing, email us at soleil.school@gmail.com.

Week One, June 4-8: Art & Aesthetics

Week Two, June 11-15: Poetry & Literature

Week Three, June 18-22: History & Globe

Week Four, June 25-29: Society & Politics

Week of July 2-6: Summer Break: Happy Independence Day!

Week Five, July 9-13: Virtues & Ethics

Week Six, July 16-20: Philosophy & Spirit

Week Seven, July 23-27: Logic & Critical Thinking

Week Eight, July 30-August 3: Math & Concepts

Week Nine, August 6-10: Science & Technology

Week Ten, August 13-17: Life & Environment

What do you mean, “Copernican”?

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In this great post by Marsha Enright, she discusses the difference between the lecture format and “flow.” She’s mainly talking about lecture in higher education. But her points are perhaps no less true in primary ed.

  1. Abstract ideas generally take more energy to attend to because they don’t engage the senses or body or, often, the listener’s deepest motivation. Instead, on their own the listener has to come up with imaginary objects or instances to embody what the lecturer is saying. That’s why aids such as visuals or demonstrations are good to use. And, unless the listener is naturally interested in the subject, he has to cheerlead himself into continuing to pay attention. In the case of most students and most lectures, I’m betting they must cheerlead with a stick (“I’ll fail!”) rather than a carrot (“This stuff is cool to know!”).
  2. Listening while sitting still in a seat is extremely difficult because it doesn’t engage the senses or the body.
  3. If the listener gets confused, or stops paying attention for a bit of time, he or she has no opportunity to ask questions or re-start the lecture; the rest of the presentation may be worthless or, at the least, less than optimal as a learning experience because it can’t be followed well.
  4. Optimal human attention span is about 20 minutes (in other words, the length of TED talks) – 90 is almost impossible unless it’s a full-body-and-mind engaging activity, like a sport or watching a movie, in which the emotions are engaged. OR unless it’s a Flow activity for that person. Lecturing can easily be a Flow activity, especially if the lecturer finds the material interesting.
  5. A good listener has an internal dialogue with the lecturer, pondering the truth of comments, asking questions about what is said, and trying to find the data in memory to answer them. Some people do this naturally, but the vast majority have no natural skill: they need to be taught how to “actively listen.” And they’re not getting that in the lower grades – so no wonder they’re abyssmal at it in college.
  6. Neither are most students in lower education given the activities, materials, or opportunities to learn how to concentrate. And then they’re expected to figure out how to do it on their own when they arrive at college? (Developing the ability to concentrate is something Montessori classroom do well, because the materials are designed to trigger Flow for students. )

At the Soleil School, we’d never throw out the baby with the bathwater. There are some positive aspects to a lecture format. But it should be used sparingly — and driven ideally by positive interaction from the students. If the Guide can make her core points concisely, a lot more good stuff is likely to arise from dialog. That is, we strive to keep the child at the center of the pedagogical universe.

Welcome to The Soleil School

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What comes to mind when you think about your ideal learning environment? The truth is, many of us never allow ourselves to wonder. There’s so little room for creativity in today’s school setting. But go ahead, try it… Would it have rows of identical desks? An unchanging curriculum? Or would it be comfortable and inviting — like a home that allowed you the freedom to learn about what you love?

Most of us, I suspect, would opt for the latter: a place where your head and your heart come together to explore and discover. I know that’s true for me, and even more so for my son. What I can’t imagine is sending him to a school where he is systematically processed, his spirit is crushed, or his energy is sapped by standardization. My desire for him to thrive and my love of teaching  have driven me this far. And thanks to collaboration with Ariel Miller at Bronze Doors Academy, my dream has been realized in The Soleil School.

I am so happy to share my vision with you and your children. I encourage you to explore the website. And I invite you to join us for an Open House on Saturday, March 3rd from 1-3 p.m. We will have refreshments and a special performance by the Singing Zoologist, Lucas Miller!