February - Alyth Voice

Ten Years On
Ten years ago I stepped off the train at Perth Station carrying a
large rucksack of unlikely-looking wooden blocks. At 9am this
morning, a steady stream of children filed in through the door to
eagerly engage with these same blocks as a means of unconsciously
exploring the relationships between weight, mass, volume
and scale: to the young mind, these are the building blocks
of life.
Alyth's very own Montessori Nursery School has now been
running for ten years. Paul and Louise Ramsay had offered their
garden room at Bamff for the first incarnation, and Alyth, lacking
a nursery of its own, supplied a full complement of children.
Once the Alyth nursery opened, numbers dwindled for a while,
and then, after I and the school took up residence in the Coach
House at Netherton, numbers rose again, boosted by the new
partnership scheme with the local education authority. Now the
school roll is always full and there is a waiting list.
The odd-looking blocks form the cornerstones of the so-called
Montessori Method. We have had fun persuading the education
authorities and parents alike that Montessori is both the same
as, and yet quite different from, any ordinary nursery school.
What makes it the same is that fact that it supplies all the ingredients
to make for happy preschool children to come together to
play and learn for a few hours a day: lots to do, neatly laid out,
sand, water, construction, books, role-play, tearing around the
garden, romping and chattering. And so forth. What makes it
different is that Montessori understood, down to the minutest
detail, just how young children actually learnt. Her training as a
scientist, mathematician and psychiatric worker with special
needs children enabled her to provide the exact tools of learning
that young children craved. They have a passion for problem
solving. They like achieving. And they like the satisfaction of a
job well done. So the activities in which they engage are designed
to have a specific purpose and outcome. Far from being
limiting and restrictive, children find this immensely liberating.
They know what they are setting out to do, and they feel deeply
pleased with themselves when they have achieved it. This is the
secret ingredient of the Montessori Method. What is more, because
children are so discriminating in their work, they develop
finely tuned powers of imagination, so that creativity flows with
a harnessed and controlled ease.
The result? A thriving nursery school, always full of busy, purposive,
contented children, whose levels of concentration astound
parents and teachers alike; and whose confidence and
degree of independence makes them fully equipped to go on to
their primary schools with both a love of learning and the
knowledge of how to set about it.
The first group of children who started at the Bamff Montessori
Nursery School in September 1992 are now well into secondary
school. Perhaps it is time for a Teenage Tin Jubilee Reunion
next Summer in the Gardens of Netherton!
Maggie Saunders, Principal
Netherton Montessori Nursery School,
Alyth, PH11 8LT
Sorry if we have not managed to print your article
this month!!!!! Due to there being no January
issue we have had a lot of articles to place. If
it did not get printed this month your article will
be in next months issue.
7
Alyth Youth Partnership
Made a New Year’s resolution? Giving up something? You don’t
need to. Why not give yourself a chance to do fun activities and get
some satisfaction from sharing your time and talent with some of
our young people who themselves are just trying to have a good
time and make a contribution to our town.
There is a new Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Group meeting on
Wednesday evenings. They need some adult help and you don’t
have to climb mountains (unless you want to!)
The Alyth Youth Partnership gets a full-time worker in January but
the few volunteers really need some help on Monday, Tuesday and
Wednesday nights and for the occasional trip at weekends.
The Alyth Skate Solution is a group of young people working to get
a skate park to enjoy their favourite activity and at the same time,
make the streets safer for everyone else. They could also do with
some help with fundraising and just a bit of adult interest.
The Youth Theatre, Scouts, Guides, Sunday School and others are
also run by a few dedicated people who give a lot but who also get
a lot out of helping. Find out what you’re missing and get on board
and maybe 2003 could be a better year for you and the young folk.
George Allan
Chair– Alyth Youth Partnership
Telephone 632804
ALYTH & DISTRICT BUSINESS ASSOCIATION
Notice of Office Bearers and Committee Members after the
Committee meeting on Thursday the 16 th of January 2003
Office-Bearers
Chairperson Mr.Michael Kay Tel. Alyth 632252/632690
e-mail mike@atcalyth.freeserve.co.uk
Vice-Chairperson Mrs.Flo McNeil Telephone Alyth 632986
Secretary /Treasurer Mrs. Nancy Kay Telephone Alyth 632690
Committee
Mr. S. Eno, Mr. D. Brough, Mrs. R. Hognadottir , Mrs, K Donaldson
and Mrs. J. McGill
Please note forthcoming A.G.M. will take place in the Lesser Town
Hall Alyth on Thursday the 27 th of March at 7..30.p.m
DAVID SIM
IRONMONGER
We have the perfect gift in stock for that Special Person,
On Valentines Day
Our new selection of gifts include:-
Tain Pottery, Gleneagles Crystal, Border Fine Art,
Rennie McIntosh, Picture Frames and gift boxes
for Him or Her. Candles large and small, centre
pieces for your dinner table.
Snow could fall at anytime, so be prepared……
Salt, Snow Shovels, Sledges, De-icer-
We can supply and deliver at the most competitive
prices in town.
Always that familiar face and friendly smile
Tel: 01828 632309