So it’s understandable if your child wants to spend free time indoors, and understandable if you want to let them.

But in the long run, too much indoor time isn’t good for your child. According to a slew of reports and research, simple unstructured time outside will help your child be healthier, better socialized, more independent, and to do better in school.

Yet, children are spending more and more time indoors and foregoing the benefits of outdoors.

A new health report published by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) highlights key statistics behind the worrisome trends. According to surveys by researchers at the University of Michigan children spend only four to seven minutes a day in unstructured outdoor play. A study cited in the NWF report found that today, only a quarter of children are playing outside daily, as compared to nearly three quarters a generation ago, even in rural areas.

A Seattle Times article points out that while parents take children to plenty of organized activities, there’s hardly any free time outside — “time for kids just to be kids.” According to the article, playing outside with other children and, yes, without parents or coaches, “Fosters imagination and helps teach youngsters to share, cooperate and solve problems.”

An article in the UK’s Guardian reaches similar conclusions: “Free and unstructured play in the outdoors boosts problem-solving skills, focus and self-discipline. Socially, it improves cooperation, flexibility, and self-awareness. Emotional benefits include reduced aggression and increased happiness.” The article cites a study published by the American Medical Association in 2005. “Children will be smarter, better able to get along with others, healthier and happier when they have regular opportunities for free and unstructured play in the out-of-doors.”

So yes, it’s hot, and humid but it’s still a beautiful world out there, full of wonder and delight. Your children might benefit from a bit of extra time outside — just doing their thing.

Additional resources

• Download the full NWF report
  Whole Child: Developing Mind, Body and Spirit Through Outdoor Play (pdf)
• NWF:
  Developing Healthy Kids Through Outdoor Play: Be Out There Parent Tips
• Rhonda Clements (2004) An Investigation of the Status of Outdoor Play, Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 5(1), 68-80.
  http://dx.doi.org/10.2304/ciec.2004.5.1.10
• Oprah.com Outdoor Ideas for Children
• FamilyEducation Outdoor Activities for Children Ages 6-10
• Education.com Preschool Outdoor Activities

SMS is our web-based mobile messaging system. It is used primarily for urgent updates, since all parents may not have access to email at all times. For example, we will announce outages due to weather via SMS. To get updates directly via SMS, visit the sign up page and complete the requested information.

Another way you can stay in touch with The New School via your mobile device is to receive our Twitter updates. To follow us online on Twitter, you can visit our URL @TNS_Montessori. To get Tweets sent to your iPhone or Blackberry, text follow TNS_Montessori to 40404.

We do not charge for either of these services, but your phone company may apply standard data rates.

So when Mr. and Mrs. Brin and Mr. and Mrs. Page sent their children to Montessori schools, perhaps they weren’t surprised when their sons later went to college and then founded a business.

But they couldn’t have expected the astonishing success of their sons’ enterprises. It was only a few years after founding their company that Montessori graduates Sergey Brin and Larry Page went public. The value of their company today is more than $150 billion. The name of the company? Google.

These two videos feature interviews with Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page who highlight their Montessori experiences. Two key points:

1. They credit their Montessori education more than anything (including Stanford University) for their later success
2. Their parents were willing to invest in their children’s education — an investment that paid off no doubt beyond their wildest dreams.

Google Founders Talk Montessori (Barbara Walters report)

Sergey Brin talks about his Montessori education

FAST does not decide whether financial assistance will be given or how much to give; rather FAST provides a need-based financial aid analysis service which includes a recommendation of what a family should reasonably contribute toward tuition. Decisions are based on the results provided by FAST in addition to the constraints of next year’s budget. Parents are also asked to submit a letter in conjunction with their application. Details on the contents of this letter can be found on our Tuition Assistance page. Upon approval by the school, the decisions and details of any offers are then sent to families.

This new process should serve our school community well. It will provide the necessary data to the school in order to reach fair decisions and will maintain a strict level of privacy and confidentiality. The cost to the family for the application is $34 payable to by FAST by credit card. If you feel you may have difficulty with the fee, or if you do not have a credit card, you may ask the school about the possibility of a voucher.

Details on the application process and requirements will be posted on the tuition assistance page of our website by next Monday.

For those who are not in need of financial assistance this year, please consider donating to our Scholarship Fund.

We hope very much to be able to help as many families as possible. Please let us know if you have any questions.

If you have not yet received a packet or if you have any questions, please contact the office, and we will be happy to help you.

The children worked very hard on these projects, and they have produced some wonderful art that we are sure you are going to love!

Please click on the following link to download our re-enrollment form.

Re-enrollment 2010/2011

Re-enrollment Information

• Please complete the attached forms by filling out the information on the top of the front page and by checking the box next to the program to which you are applying. Please complete one form per child.

• Next, please check the box next to the payment plan you wish to sign up for (10-month or 12-month plan).

• All re-enrollment forms are due before or by Friday, February 26, 2010.

• Please note that we reserve spaces for our returning students before admitting new families (including ones on our waiting list). It is important to submit your re-enrollment on time in order to guarantee your space. After February 26th we admit all returning and new applications on a first-come, first-serve basis.

• Your application should be submitted with a check for the appropriate deposit amount (either $300 or $500 depending upon the payment plan you selected). As you are returning families, there is no application fee. Please note that this deposit is non-refundable.

Please contact the school at (919) 303-3636 if you have any questions.

For immediate news and updates, you can get need to know info that changes day-to-day on the site’s main navigation sidebar to the top right of each page on the site. Here, on the site blog, we will provide less urgent information to deepen and enrich your knowledge of the New School, Montessori philosophy and other topics relevant to enhancing your child’s education.

Please be sure to visit regularly to check our latest posts. If you’re familiar with RSS you can subscribe to our feed to be sure you don’t miss any new posts.

Please note the structure of the new site is slightly different.

Most of the informational content is provided in web pages that can be accessed via the drop-down menus at the top navigation bar.

Three boxes on the bottom of each page include need-to-know information which you will need to check regularly.

1. Regular news about school opening, events and news will be available in posts with summaries in the middle box at the bottom of the page. These can be accessed for more information by clicking on the links in that box or from the side menu.
2. Calendar events are featured on the calendar in the box on the bottom left of the page.
3. Photos of school events, classes and students are provided in a gallery which you can access by clicking on thumbnails in the box on the right hand side at the bottom of each page.