MARCH NOTES - 2017
We
began the month with a small celebration of the birthday of Dr. Seuss,
who would have turned 104 on March 2. We read some of his stories told
in fun and silly rhymes. We talked about the different themes of his
many books. These include the importance of taking chances, facing and
overcoming challenges and difficulties, learning, exploring, being
curious and adventurous, taking care of our environment, and being all
we can be. We had special art projects, as well as a little snack to
honor this very famous and influential writer whose messages are as
relevant today to both children and adults as they were 50 years ago.
We find our Robin getting closer and closer to New Jersey. He is more than halfway through his east coast northward journey. Our bird study has almost come to an end, but we are still looking to the sky as we begin March’s theme of the Solar System. In addition to studying the individual characteristics of each planet, including proximity to the sun, size, weight, temperature, and whether it is made of rock or gas, we will also look at other celestial phenomenon such as asteroids and comets. We will be considering how the sun and planets are formed, and as always, we have baskets with accurate reproductions of each one. We have some fun solar system songs as well as puzzles, matching and counting exercises, and art projects.
In Practical Life we will introduce shoe polishing (a lost art), and apple and carrot cutting . The children will continue to busily and more and more competently wash dishes together, and late in the month or early in April, bread slicing will come in. Color mixing will become a little more challenging as we will not only mix colors by whisking, but we will also use dropper bottles in tiny dishes and on tiny dots to make secondary colors, helping to further refine small motor skills. One of the most important activities on our language shelf is the metal inset work, which has already been introduced. The children choose a shape or shapes to trace. They place colored pencils, paper, and the inset shape onto a small tray and carry it to a table. Not only is the work good for developing the correct pencil grip, but it also, once it has been used often, allows creativity to bloom as they decorate their basic shape with straight, curly, or diagonal lines using different colors to do so. So we will periodically reintroduce the work on circle to show the different ways it can be used. Another really fun activity that will be put in our language area this month is our picture/label matching. Annie and Sue Valentine have worked hard to take pictures of every student which are mounted and laminated. We then make small name tags in red and blue, just like our names on the banner. The children take the pictures and labels to a mat, lay them out, and then try to match the name with the picture. Since we have been working all year with our banner names on circle, many of the children recognize the names of their classmates.
In Sensorial we will continue to add solid shapes to our basket and play the blindfold game with them. By this time of year we have at least 6 or 7 shapes in the basket. One child is the teacher and lays the shapes out on a mat. The one or two children gather around the mat and close their eyes, while the “teacher” removes one of the shapes…such as cube, sphere (“spear” as many of them call it), cone, pyramid, cylinder, rectangular and triangular prisms. Then the children have to guess which one was removed by trying to remember all those that were laid out. As with many of the Montessori materials, once the child has mastered the basic skills involved, they can then be creative. This can only enhance the value of the exercise.
Towards the middle of the month we will be making Irish soda bread on circle. Also in March as we look to the start of spring, we will be looking for our crocus bulbs to bloom outside as well as our pussy willow and forsythia, and we will reproduce these early spring flowers/bushes at the art table. The highlight of our art projects this month is of course the continuation of our Robin book which will be complete when the robin arrives by months end…hopefully. And then spring will truly be here!
“Today you are YOU, that is truer than true.
There is no one alive who is YOUER than YOU.”
Dr. Seuss, Happy Birthday to You
FEBRUARY NOTES - 2017
February
began with emergence of the groundhog from his winter sleep. At
January’s end we talked about life underground and animal hibernation.
This was to prepare for the highly anticipated appearance of our
Parkside Groundhog. We have explained that Groundhog Day celebrates a
legend which helps us all begin to focus on the coming of spring in
March. The children become very excited at the prospect of the groundhog
seeing his shadow and running back, frightened by his own image, to his
underground winter bed. Here he will remain for six more weeks until
spring. We have told them that If the groundhog does not see his
shadow, he is not scared, and then spring will be early as he can now
emerge from his winter bed happily and move about freely. We did our
usual dramatic rendition of the event using flashlights and our own
stuffed groundhog, and there was great excitement and laughter as we
tried to anticipate an early spring or an extended winter. This year the
groundhog did indeed see his shadow, so all legendary signs point to
six more weeks of winter. “Oh no!”
February is a short but busy
month here at school. We begin (again anticipating spring) our
extensive study of birds. We have an entire collection of stuffed birds
which when squeezed make the actual call of that bird. We introduce
them gradually, and, as with other themes, the children have the
opportunity to work with the baskets of birds which are in each room.
We continue to be amazed at a child’s capacity for retaining the
characteristics of each kind of bird, and they learn quickly how to
identify birds by their sounds. They love to hear, for example, that
the bluejay can be raucous and rude, but will protect his fellow birds
from danger, or that the Baltimore oriole makes a very neat and
cone-shaped nest, unlike our favorite, the robin, whose nest is quite
messy. The tiny hummingbird can fly great distances and can also fly
backwards. The chickadee is very acrobatic and can perch on a small
feeder, but also hang upside down. These are just a few samples of
facts discussed. As always, books, puzzles, matching and counting
exercises, as well as songs, games and art projects all reflect our bird
study.
Towards the end of the month, as those of you who have
been with us for more than one year (some of you for many years), we
will begin to tell the story of the robin’s journey from his southern
winter home back to New Jersey. Of course we discuss bird migration and
the changing seasons, but this unit also touches upon the important
east coast landmarks as the robin heads north (the beaches and palmetto
trees of the Carolinas, the cities of Washington and Philadelphia and
the important monuments there). Each child will make his or her own
book to chronicle the robin’s long journey. We will be using large US
maps and concrete objects describing each of the robin’s stops. Also
in February we will be talking about our greatest presidents, and we
will have charts and statues as well as books and art projects to go
along with our lessons.
Practical Life in February introduces
some fun activities including shoe polishing, celery cutting, and color
mixing with both whisks and then eye droppers. Of particular interest
to the children this month is dishwashing. This task is one where two
children set up basins, soap, and brushes to wash and then dry real
dishes and silverware. The children so enjoy doing this work together.
In Sensorial we continue to work on more complicated shape exercises
such as the multi-piece hexagon and rectangle boxes. Color shading will
be brought in. This is a sensorial exercise which really challenges
and enhances visual discrimination skills.
We have just set up
our “Snack for Two” activity, and, as usual, it is very, very
popular. All through the year the children are learning to take care
of themselves and their environment, but it is also very important that
they learn how to interact in a positive way with their classmates.
Snack for Two greatly facilitates this as it gives each child the
opportunity to join a friend for snack at a special little area set up
in the room. The host (the one who invites) will set the table and
serve the snack (mini pretzels and water). When they have finished,
both help to clear and clean the table. These little social
interactions between two children can often encourage new friendships,
foster conversation, and help them practice courtesy and turn-taking.
We love to listen to the interesting and sometimes very adult
conversations that take place at the table, and the children feel it is a
special and important for them to have the chance to choose when and
with whom they are going to have snack.
This month of course is
Valentine’s Day and we will celebrate with new counting and matching
exercises as well as books and art activities. We tell the children
that is is a good way to let others know that we care about them, and in
connection with our Peace Bowl, we talk on circle about specific ways
to show love and kindness to friends and family. If your child would
like to send in Valentines, we ask that you send in about two dozen in
unmarked envelopes with your child’s name inside the card. Please put
the cards in a zip lock bag with your child’s name on the outside. The
teachers will distribute the bags of envelopes for your child’s
classmates into the Valentine bags that we have prepared for every
student.
Our groundhog’s annual appearance, the study of birds,
Snack for Two, Valentine’s Day, and new and always interesting
Montessori materials and exercises on our shelves will keep us busy all
month.
“You have to believe in happiness
Or happiness never comes…
Ah, that’s the reason a bird can sing.
On his darkest day he believes in spring.”
Douglas Malloch, American Poet
1877-1938
JANUARY NOTES - 2017
Happy New Year to all of our wonderful Parkside families!
As each new year begins and the holidays end, we are always gratified to see how happy the children are to return to school and to start anew. Despite the often dreary weather, January is exciting for our students because it is the month of the dinosaurs. It is a particularly popular thematic unit with both girls and boys, and they can’t seem to get enough of these ancient and mysterious creatures of long ago. We have many museum quality dinosaurs for the children to work with, and they are introduced gradually. As with other thematic units, the children learn the individual characteristics of the many dinosaurs in our collection. They will understand the difference between carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores, and the real names of each. You will hopefully soon be hearing about Apatosaurus, Pteranodon, Stegosaurus, Parasaurolophus, and of course everyone’s favorite, Tyrannosaurus Rex. A basic tenet of Montessori is that language not be simplified for young children. And so since pre-schoolers are in the “sensitive period” for language development, we use the full names of each dinosaur rather than the nick name. Many of our students are very familiar with the dinosaurs due to what they may have seen on “Dinosaur Dan”, “Dinosaur Train”, and other TV and computer programs. Still, they always enjoy hearing about them and working with them in a concrete and interactive way.
Our Practical Life area will feature digging up dinosaur bones from sand. We will also have dinosaur washing. In Language there will be dinosaur matching with tiny dinosaurs, lots of dinosaur stories, and in Math counting and stamping dinosaurs. Sensorial will include many dinosaur puzzles. At the art table we will do dinosaur sponging, fossil rubbing, and footprint tracing. One fascinating aspect of our dinosaur theme is our discussions as to why the dinosaurs disappeared and how we have been able to learn about them through the study of fossils. The children hopefully will be able to relate the most common theories, and perhaps offer their own ideas as to what happened to these prehistoric creatures.
Cold and sometimes snowy January is actually a very productive time in our classrooms. The excitement of the holidays is over, and the children are back with us and ready to get to work independently, with us, and with their friends. Because the month is a bit longer than most months in terms of number of school days, we have the opportunity to bring in many new activities to all areas. New Practical Life tasks include basting, weaving, whisking, straining, and using an eyedropper (smaller version of basting). But the most fun new Practical Life activity is creating shapes, numbers, letters, and free-form designs with shaving cream. We will also be polishing small mirrors and cutting celery. In Sensorial we will introduce the more challenging color boxes, the triangle box, and of course winter puzzles large and small. In the Math area there will be buttons to count onto snowman pictures, and snowflakes to count onto snow scenes. The Art area will feature winter-themed projects such as snowmen, snowflakes, snow scenes and icicles. We will also create designs with shapes, and make a winter skyline both with blocks in Sensorial, and then at the art table.
Mid-month we will be celebrating Martin Luther King’s birthday by reading about him and talking about his message of peace and non-violence, which of course goes along with and enhances our Peace curriculum. Towards the end of the month we will begin to talk about meeting our Groundhog in early February which starts circle discussions about hibernation and life underground.
Our book corners continue to be very popular in all the classrooms. We all understand the importance of reading aloud to children, and there is much research to support the value of children “reading” to other children or simply just sitting together in the little rockers looking at books. It is very sweet to watch. While teaching the mechanics of reading is important, it is equally important to foster a love of reading.
“Reading aloud to children daily is probably
the single most important thing a teacher can do to
enhance the probability of children loving reading, and
the possibility of each learning to read.”
Nancy McCormick Rambusch, (Leader of the resurgence of the Montessori method in America)
Again, we wish you all the best in 2017. Here’s to happiness, health, and peace in the NEW YEAR!
DECEMBER NOTES - 2016
As
December starts and the temperatures turn colder, we turn our
attention from all things fall (trees, leaves, apples, pumpkins) to the
upcoming holidays. December is always a month that seems to go too
quickly. Much of our work this month revolves around holiday
traditions, activities, and celebrations. While the month is short, we
will be quite busy.
In Practical Life, the children really enjoyed making their beaded bracelets. This will continue with different colored beads now. We will make beaded candy canes as well as twisty candy canes using pipe cleaners. We will also introduce basting and funneling. Clementine peeling will stay on the shelves this month. Last month we practiced our cutting skills by doing lots of fringing on paper first and then when we made our placemats for our Thanksgiving Feast. The next scissor challenge will be to cut beaded holiday necklaces into individual beads which we will then put in our creative art containers for future use at the art table. Again, all of these Practical Life exercises help increase fine motor control, concentration, and a sense of order and sequence. In Sensorial, more geometric solids will be added to our basket, and the shelves will be full of holiday puzzles.
Language and Math will feature colorful new holiday matching, classifying, sequencing and counting and sorting activities. At the art table we will be painting, decorating, sponging, and even punching our Christmas trees, dreidels, wreaths, reindeers, menorahs, and Santas.
In connection with our Peace curriculum, we will be emphasizing the importance of giving gifts to others. Young children are naturally more focused on receiving gifts at this time of year, but we will be making special holiday presents for the children to bring home to you. We will also talk about giving gifts that are not concrete….such as helping a sibling, friend or parent, comforting someone in need, sharing, practicing kindness, and working cooperatively on classroom activities with a friend or friends. We will continue to work on conflict resolution at our Peace Table with our Peace Flower and Peace Stick, as we talked about last month. More than 100 years ago Maria Montessori expressed her strong belief that it is only through educating children in the ways of peace will the world find a lasting peace. We believe this message is timeless.
“If we are to have peace in the world,
then we shall have to begin with the children.”
Mahatma Gandhi
We wish you and your families a happy and peaceful holiday season.
NOVEMBER NOTES - 2016
We continue to enjoy a lovely autumn, and the children seem excited about observing and identifying the beautiful leaves that are falling. This month we expand the October discussions of the kinds of trees and leaves a bit by classifying the trees we observe around us into either deciduous or evergreen. We actually gather branches outdoors and bring them to circle for the children to separate them into one or the other.
Much of our time in November is spent preparing for our Thanksgiving feasts here at school which will take place on Monday and Tuesday, November 21 and 22. As always we have books, puzzles, and language and math materials which reflect this theme. In Practical Life we will be bringing in clementine peeling….one of our most popular food prep exercises. We also introduce napkin folding and place setting to prepare for our feasts. Another popular Practical Life exercise is bracelet making with colorful seasonal beads which we will continue through the December holidays. In Sensorial we will be adding more geometric solids, as well as another set of cards to our geometric cabinet. We will be making placemats, Native American head dresses and Pilgrim hats at the art table as well as tissue and glitter turkeys.
Thanksgiving is a very historical holiday, as it chronicles the difficult journey of the Pilgrims from England to America in search of religious freedom. The children love hearing the story of the many challenges faced by the Pilgrims, both on the ocean crossing, and after they landed in Massachusetts. The Pilgrims received unexpected support from those who were already here, the Native Americans. With their help, the new settlers learned to plant, fish, and build homes in this strange new land. Thanksgiving is a story of the bonds that were forged between two very different cultures who learned to work peacefully together for the good of all. It is a natural follow up story to our discussions of peace in September and October. We also gain an understanding of the meaning of the fall harvest. We will discuss the importance of those harvest foods that were shared on the first Thanksgiving such as corn, squash, potatoes, beans, cranberries, etc., and we will make horns of plenty showing these foods.
Also, we will be asking via a sign-up sheet in the hall for contributions of harvest foods to our feasts.
In November we introduce both the Peace Flower and the Peace Stick to our Peace Table. Both of these are vehicles through which the child can express his or her feelings. The legend of the Peace Stick is one that the children love to hear. We talk about how many years ago in the earliest days of America, the chiefs of some warring Native American tribes decided to sit down and talk about their problems. In this way, problems could be worked out through peaceful discussion rather than war and aggression. We tell the children that today we can do the same thing. explaining how to express negative feelings by going to our Peace Corner to talk together. The teachers assist in this exercise by first play acting on circle potential difficulties that may arise between classmates, and then going with the children to the Peace Table to help facilitate the conversation. The children involved take turns telling each other about what has made them sad or angry as each holds the stick or flower. By the end of their little chat, they are usually friends again. It is a simple lesson in peaceful conflict resolution which can take time, but it is well worth the effort.
“Gratitude makes sense of our past,
brings peace for today, and creates a
vision for tomorrow.”
Melody Beattie
We wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving.
OC
TOBER NOTES - 2016
As we begin our second month here at school, we are happy to report that the children have accommodated themselves very well to their classrooms, classmates, and school routine. They seem very comfortable and happy with their teachers as we are with them.
We are moving into our October curriculum which focuses on the study of all things autumn. The children are still enjoying learning about sea creatures, so they will remain in the classroom a little while longer. With regards to the onset of the new season, we find that young children are very interested in observing and commenting on the changes in nature that fall, and every season brings. On circle we will discuss the transition into the beautiful fall season, the changes in color in trees and grass, the falling temperatures, the changes in the light of the sky. We will focus on the many different kinds of trees in our area, and the leaves they produce. Most common here are the oak, maple, beech, sassafras, sweet gum, tulip, gingko to name a few. On our walks to the playground we will be searching for each kind of leaf and the tree from which it falls. Should you have any special leaves in your yards, we welcome the children to bring them in.
We will also be learning the names of several different kinds of apples, and tasting them as well. Since many families go apple and/or pumpkin picking this month, we will be talking about the way both grow. A very fun and popular activity in October is bulb planting. The bulbs (tulip, daffodil, crocus and hyacinth) will be planted by the children in areas near the playground and our entrance. The bulbs will rest in their “cozy winter beds” which we cover with pine straw to deter the squirrels from finding, digging, and munching on them. This discussion of keeping our bulbs safe is as interesting to our students as the actual planting. Inside we will force amaryllis and narcissi bulbs which will hopefully bloom by the holidays. We will also be talking about the voyages of the Nina, Pinto, and Santa Maria using our Montessori globes and world map show the route to America from Europe. Hopefully this will give our children a better understanding of our world and their place in it. It is essentially our first lesson in geography.
In Practical Life the children always enjoy apple cutting and pumpkin scrubbing, and napkin folding. Sensorial will feature demonstrations of the Brown Stair, the Red Rods, and the Geometric Solids as well as our apple tasting, and on the shelves there are many fall puzzles. In Language we have lots of autumn and Halloween matching, and we will introduce more complicated go-togethers and sequencing exercises, again, seasonally related. We will be counting/sorting pumpkin seeds, apples, and leaves, and in the art area we will be creating pumpkin patches, falling leaf and Halloween collages and rubbings, and on the easel will be large apple and pumpkin stencils.
Halloween comes, of course, at the end of the month. We have many Halloween movement songs which are always so loved by the children. They love to sing these songs over and over again, and request them all through the school year. By the way, the children do not wear their Halloween costumes to school. This would make what is already a very exciting day a little too long for children who are so young. We will celebrate with games, songs and treats.
We know that children thrive in a loving and supportive community, and to ensure that, our Peace curriculum begins in September and continues through the year. It includes our Peace Corner with a Peace Bowl alongside a dish of colored stones. Also on our Peace table is a Peace Flower. We have begun to talk about the definition of peace, which in its simplest terms is being kind to and concerned for others. If a child believes that he or she has done something kind, he or she may place a stone in the Peace Bowl. As we count the stones at the end of the day, the children come to realize that individual acts of kindness foster a peaceful and happy community. We are encouraging the children to be considerate of each other by sharing well, helping each other and us, and showing respect for one another. We play act on circle examples of these qualities, and as the weeks go on, the children’s understanding of peace becomes much clearer,
Later this month, we will be teaching the children how to use our Peace Flower as a means of conflict resolution. We will let you know how that is going!
As we complete our first month of school and the temperatures begin to fall, we ask that you PLEASE LABEL COATS, SWEATERS, HATS, BOOTS, GLOVES, BACKPACKS, LUNCH BOXES AND ALL CONTAINERS THEREIN. It will make our transition times, which are always busy, so much easier! For the many parents who have done that, we thank you so much.
Our annual fundraiser will begin this Friday, October 7 and run for two weeks. We hope for as much participation as possible, and we thank you in advance for your help in your efforts to enhance your child’s educational experience.
“Children are human beings to whom respect is due,
superior to us by reasons of their innocence and the
greater possibilities of their future.”
Maria Montessori
SEPTEMBER 2015
We begin our thirtieth (!) year here at Parkside and, while summer hangs on for a couple of more weeks, we are in full Back-To-School mode as we have completed our first full weekl. Our staff has been here since late July, painting, reorganizing, setting up the classrooms, preparing lesson plans, putting in some newly purchased materials. We have also seen all of the new students and their parents for individual orientation visits. We have done all we can to make this sometimes challenging transition for our families organized, happy, and, hopefully, relatively smooth and easy.
A natural part of the early days of school is helping our children feel comfortable, safe, and secure. This year is like all others in that there are a few children who are upset upon entry, but the tears have been stopping quickly. Sometimes the tears don’t start until the second or third week, and this too we expect. We try to explain to parents that this is a very normal and natural part of adjusting to school after the end of summer. It is not concerning to us because we know from experience, both as teachers and as parents ourselves, that this is as difficult for the parent as it is for the child, and that with time it passes. Also, you may notice that your child may be tired and even a little cranky after school. Again, this is normal at the onset of a new school year. The children are adjusting to their new schedules, and to the changes from life as they knew it over the summer months. Overall, though, they have settled in nicely, and they are enjoying each other and the many activities available to them on the shelves.
In the very first weeks of school, we concentrate on demonstrating to the children the basic classroom routines. For example, we show them how to use their mats on the rug to work on certain exercises. The returning students love to show the new students how rolling and unrolling is done. We greatly emphasize the importance of putting work away, both those tasks that are brought to the large rug, and those on trays that are brought to the table. Believe it or not the children are actually happy to do this. There are photographs on the shelves so that they can see where to return their work. We also show them how to carry a chair to circle or a table, how to “freeze” and listen to a message, and how to use slow and gentle movements in the classroom. Our schedule and routine remains the same each day, and the children always know what to expect: taking their names upon entry, hanging up their coats, having snack, circle, and work time, going outdoors, and finally listening to a story and doing some moving and singing. We feel that sticking to this order of activities helps them to feel more secure and confident as they always know what is coming next in their prepared environment.
There are four main areas in the Montessori classroom: Practical Life, Sensorial, Language and Math. Generally speaking, Practical Life includes many different exercises that enhance concentration, sense of order,and large and small motor development. The many tasks include spooning, pouring, grasping, tweezing, washing, table setting, zipping, buttoning, snapping, etc, and a little later food prep. Tasks change on a regular basis, and they are set up on and in colorful trays and containers. The Sensorial area contains the building, sorting, and arranging of blocks, rods, cylinders, etc. as well as shape and puzzle work. We have an extensive collection of large and small puzzles. In this area, the children are honing not only their motor skills, but their sensory discrimination skills (visual, tactile, auditory) as well. In the Language area there are many matching exercises including object to object, object to picture, and picture to picture. There are also sequencing and go-together exercises. We have full sets of sandpaper letters for the purpose of identifying letters and more importantly the sounds that they make. There is also tracing, writing, picture story, and other reading readiness tasks. The Math area features sandpaper numbers and numerous counting exercises, and some beautiful math puzzles. Later we will offer addition and subtraction with concrete materials, as well as work with our Golden Bead material. The other important area in our classroom is our Art area. The children are free to enjoy a number of different art projects each week featuring many different materials and mediums to encourage creativity and develop skill.
Each month in this newsletter we will be letting you know very specifically the new Montessori exercises being brought in to each of the above Montessori areas. Also, as our returning parents know, each month focuses on a different concept which we will be exploring in depth, and so we will also tell you about the thematic materials being placed on the shelves. Our themes include Trees and Leaves, Dinosaurs, Birds, the Solar System, the Body and Nutrition, and there are others as well.
As a new year begins, September seems like a perfect time to talk about life at the beach, shells, and about the fascinating creatures that inhabit the sea. Books, puzzles, songs, and art projects will all reflect this area of study. In Practical Life, we begin with lots of pouring (wet and dry) exercises, as well as table and shell scrubbing and baby washing. Our returning students always love to get back to the water play, and do so with such efficiency, organization, and enthusiasm. We also have a fishing exercise in Practical Life this month, a real favorite. Sensorial will feature some challenging sea life and shell discrimination puzzles and a magnetic fishing exercise. In Language we have a number of sea life matching tasks. Also, there are many different kinds of shells on the shelves to identify, classify, and match. We also have a large basket of sea creatures such as the friendly dolphin, several kinds of large and interesting whales, the many tentacled but reserved octopus, the shy giant squid, the busy, hungry sea gull always looking for food, and the bearded, gentle and slow-moving manatee to name a few. The children love learning about the individual characteristics of each of these animals. And being able to handle them in addition to seeing them in books makes them very real and also leads to some fun imaginative play. In the Math area, there are many kinds of colorful and tiny fish and other sea creatures for counting, as well as shell sorting and counting.
Again, our job as teachers is to make this new school year transition as smooth as possible for children and parents alike. We want you to feel free to communicate any questions or concerns, and we so appreciate what you and your caregivers have done to help your little ones (and us) during this important time in their lives. We are glad to be back, and we enthusiastically look forward to a successful and productive year of growth for all of us.
“You’re off to great places.
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So get on your way!”
Dr. Seuss