SUNDROPS BLOG

Happy Summer!

Sundrops — Thu, 24 May 2012 17:43:23 +0000

Thanks to the entire Sundrops community for another wonderful school year. Congratulations to the 2012 kindergarten graduates! Best of luck in your future endeavors, whether they be with Sundrops or elsewhere.

We hope everyone has a great summer!

Walk for Water - Go Team Sundrops!

Sundrops — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 17:06:56 +0000

We had an amazing time this past Saturday, March 24th at the Walk for Water event. Participants walked 3.5 miles roundtrip with a bucket for collecting water. At the midway point we filled our bucket with dirty water to symbolize what people all over the world do for water everyday. They walk this far, or further, for water that's not even clean.

Thank you to the entire Sundrops community for your support of this organization and our community outreach efforts. A great big thank you to all those who came out and walked as well. I hope to see even more participants next year. The other great news is that we exceeded our fundraising goal of $1,000 for this project and actually raised $1,276.04 for Water Missions International. Be sure to check out some photos below. You can also view more in our Photo Gallery.

Elementary Visits Our State Capitol!

Sundrops — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 18:18:52 +0000

Last week we celebrated Montessori Peace Week with our fellow Montessori community across the state of South Carolina. Our Elementary class visited the State Museum in Columbia, SC to celebrate. The students did a presentation on their spring community project with local organization Water Missions International. The entire Sundrops community is also participating in the organization's Walk for Water on March 24th and is raising funds for this wonderful cause. Be sure to visit our Community Outreach webpage for more details.

Night at the Derby Raises over $9,000!

Sundrops — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:31:36 +0000

Our 2nd Annual Silent & Live Auction raised over $9,000 towards the Sundrops Scholarship Program. We are so grateful for all the parent and community support that we saw for this event. Thank you to all the local stores and companies who chose to donate to this wonderful cause.

This event also would not have been possible without all the help of our Auction Committee volunteers!

THANK YOU to all for a wonderfully successful auction.

Fill the Barrel Food Drive!

Sundrops — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 18:51:06 +0000

Our Food Drive was a huge success! The goal was to fill the food barrel we received from the Lowcountry Food Bank and we absolutely succeeded. I think that we almost filled it TWICE! Thank you to all the families who brought items in for those in the Lowcountry who are less fortunate. It is greatly appreciated.

The elementary students are going to tour the facility tomorrow and will be delivering our collected food items.

Holiday Craft Fundraiser!

Sundrops — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 18:20:15 +0000

Thank you to all who participated in this week's Holiday Craft Fundraiser event. The children made some ornaments, wrapping paper and fun holiday cards. They had a blast! This event raised over $900 towards the Sundrops Scholarship Program. Check out the sparkly pine cones & reindeer that we made below.

A Thank you from Ms. Audrey!

Sundrops — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 15:39:53 +0000

Thank you to everyone. We raised over $2,000 to help Audrey & her family! Please see the below for a few words from Ms. Audrey:

Dear Parents,

Words cannot explain all the feelings and emotions that I have been going through these past few months. I was so sad I had to miss Pink Day at the school, but please know that I went to the hospital in my pink. I want to thank everyone that participated and sent in donations. Wow, you have no idea how that makes me feel. My family and I are so happy to know that we have a fund set-up to help with any bills or needs that come our way during this crazy time. Also, please know that having my kids on the lunch program has been such a big relief. Thank you to those that bought my kiddos lunch. For those that don't know, my surgery went well, it was 5 hours long and very intense. My first day back was great but by the end of the week I was tired. I feel great now and have my energy back and will start chemotherapy on December 1st.

There is no way to thank you enough for all the support during this tough time. I truly appreciate everything you have done. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Peace & love,

Ms. Audrey

Fill the Food Barrel for the Lowcountry Food Bank!

Sundrops — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 16:13:21 +0000

Fill the Food Barrel Food Drive

On Monday we will kick off our Food Drive to support our own local Lowcountry Food Bank! This is our first Community Outreach effort of the 2011-12 school year. To view our efforts for the entire school year, please visit our Community Outreach webpage.

The Food Drive will run from November 14th until December 14th. We will be discussing it in class with the students, so be sure to talk about it at home too. Let your children choose some items that they would like to bring in for those less fortunate.

I hope that our students won't fit in the food barrel once our food drive is finished. Let's fill the food barrel!

Welcome from Ms. Shannon.

Sundrops — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 16:49:40 +0000

Hello Wonderful Families,

School is off to a great start! All the students are getting familiar with their classrooms, peers and teachers in these first few weeks in such a peaceful way.

I make several trips throughout all of the classrooms and am amazed at how smoothly the children are transitioning. Please don’t worry if your child has had a couple of transitioning struggles. This will allow the teachers to bond with your child and empower them to be comfortable in their new space.

I wanted to personally thank all of you for entrusting your amazing children to us here at Sundrops. As parents and educators, we understand that in addition to your child being able to explore, to be challenged, and to thrive, your first priority is a safe, nurturing environment. That is our specialty and we assure you we will help them on their journey to trust and love their school.

On that note, I would like to say that I feel that Sundrops has the most amazing staff anywhere. They have such passion and dedication for the children and work tirelessly to make sure each student has a great Montessori experience. I am so privileged to work with our team of professionals and without them we wouldn’t be where we are today. At this point in our growth, the Sundrops team is guiding over 150 children, from 6 months to third grade, across all 3 campuses. We now have curriculum coordinators, a solid support program, a great food program and enriched campuses for all to benefit from and enjoy. It is truly a wonderful place to work and I am filled with gratitude that I am surrounded and supported with such a caring staff.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to us with any questions or concerns.

Thank you for all of your positive input and the opportunity to grow with your children.

Best regards,

Shannon Smith

Excerpt from Tomorrow's Child.

Sundrops — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 18:50:08 +0000

Montessori's Basic Principles

Children are not born lazy. Schools need not use external controls and manipulation to influence, control, and shape their intellectual life.

Children learn best when they are encouraged to choose work freely, rather than simply do what they are told from one task to another.

Children learn best in schools that treat them with kindness, honor, and respect. Curiosity develops best when children do not see school as a burden and a set of imposed assignment and guidelines.

Children learn best when they really can see and grasp the big picture.

Outcomes of Montessori Education to the Natural World and the Human Condition

Spiritual Awareness: Montessori students tend to be exceptionally compassionate, empathetic, and sensitive to the natural world and the human condition.

Intrinsic Motivation: Children who go through Montessori tend to develop an innate desire to engage in an activity for enjoyment and satisfaction.

Internalized Ground Rules and Ability to Work without External Authority: Montessori students normally follow internalized ground rules, whether or not people in authority are watching.

Creativity and Originality of Thought: While Montessori students are typically confident about their own knowledge and skill, they also respect the creative process of others and are willing to exchange ideas, information, talents, and credit with their peers.

Social Responsibility: Montessori children tend to be quite aware that their words and actions impact the welfare of others. They normally are great leaders and team players, making positive contributions to their community.

Automony:  Montessori children tend to be self-directed, composed, and morally independent.

Confidence and Competence:  Children who attend Montessori schools tend to become confident and competent. As adults, they normally become quite successful. At the same time, they tend to retain the ability to learn from their mistakes and remain reflective and open-minded.

Academic Preparation: On an academic level, Montessori provides students with skills that allow them to become independently functioning adults and life-long learners. As students master one level of academic skills, they are able to go further and apply themselves to increasingly challenging materials across various academic disciplines. They learn how to integrate new concepts, analyze data, and think critically.

-April 2011, Tomorrow's Child, pg 9.