Nia House Board of Directors 2016-2017

Thank you to all the Board Candidates and to the Nia House community for taking the time to consider and vote for Nia House's Board of Directors for 2016-2017. 

Each candidate that ran brought so much heart, commitment and their unique skill sets to serve our community. Thank you for this.

It was a very close race! I am happy to announce the folks you have all elected to serve Nia House!

Parent Representatives

  • Loris Mattox
  • Jeff Vincent
  • Miriam Persley
  • John Marshall

Community Representatives

  • Jolie Coursin
  • Cindy Tsai-Schultz

Staff Representative

  • Nicole Dixon

 

Parenting Reflections From a School Director

by Eve Uberman

The passage of time has always been a topic of wonderment in my life.  Some moments come quickly and disappear while others seem to last forever; some I wish would last longer while I would prefer for others to pass. 

Working with young children and families at Nia House offers days and years filled with the observation of time in a physical and emotional way.  The last 15 years have been filled with countless moments to see and feel the concrete passage of time. 

Welcoming new families into the program, watching the families grow and sending our children off to first grade classrooms prepared with the skills to lead the new generations brings me immense joy.  Hearing children sound out their first words and seeing them write their names for the first time is an honor and a privilege. 

I now have an opportunity to take an even closer look at both time and growth through the evolution of my own son from a mere bump on the belly to a nearly 5 month old child!

My personal challenge during this life transforming time is to recognize the daily feats and struggles of little Abraham, pulling them together to form a comprehensive vision of the forming of his identity with the patience and expertise of my professional life.  My experiences observing other families has been beautiful and uplifting, but has afforded me years of quiet evenings and restful nights.  I have arrived at school each day ready to celebrate each child's progress. 

Now, with a busier home environment, less sleep and a more eventful  household, I am striving to practice the celebration of time by acknowledging the cycles of the days and weeks, the fleeting nature of each moment and the true excitement that accompanies my own child's acquisition of independence, focus, motor skills, emotional and physical growth. 

Just as I have observed Nia House children over the years, I can see that Abe is delighted with his own growth, with his daily accomplishments and by the opening of his eyes to each new day.  

The closeness with which I can appreciate the passage of time continues in my professional life and now, with Abraham, occurs in my personal life as well.  My goal as a parent is to continue to allow the wonder and awe that has permeated my career life to pass through into my home life, a pleasure of a task!  Abe makes sure that his parents notice his presence in each moment with his cooing, rolling, amazing laughter, his interest in new experiences, and by physically outgrowing his clothes. 

As I have learned from many of the parents in the school community over the years, I hope to truly acknowledge the time that seems to stand still (at bedtime or a lack thereof) and the time that speeds by so quickly, and to hold dear each moment as they pile up into a lifetime of learning, loving, growing and more. 

Parents, let's get to work!

Hello Nia House Folks!

Parent Work Day: Saturday, April 9th, 9am-1pm

We have so much to do tomorrow! Here's the scoop- we will landscape the toddler yard, sand and finish tables, deep clean, and prune and weed. If you plan to come and you have any of the following things, please bring them: electric sander, sheers/garden clippers, and your own gardening gloves. Oh, and a raincoat! We will work inside and out, rain or shine. 

Thanks everyone! I look forward to seeing you. If you can only come for part of the day, that is just fine. Come connect with other parents in the community. Please remember, work days are just for adults. 

Looking forward to it!

 

 

 

Developing Self Esteem in Children: Praise vs. Ackowledgement

Thank you Nia House Parent Community for a spirited and thoughtful reflection on the development of self esteem in young children. Below please find links to the articles that helped inform the meeting and some notes capturing the meeting's main points.

What is self esteem and when do you feel it? 

Parents shared that they felt self esteem when they succeeded, took a risk, mastered something, and when they worked hard.

To build the esteem needed to take healthy risks, all people must feel safety, trust, and belonging. The same is true for children.  The origin of trust rests in an infant getting their needs met, in closeness and eye-contact of their beginning years. 

How then, do we create the safety and security for children to take risks and develop their self-esteem?

Toddler parent, Miriam, shared her notes on this portion of the parent meeting:

  • You're their calm foundation. Your calmness keeps them grounded. You should be unchanged. If you make a mistake you should do restorative work. 
  • Remind them that "Your challenges become strengths."
  • Respecting your child means that there is an environment for restorative work. 
  • Give language tools. Empower them to say what they are feeling. Express their boundaries. 
    • "Watching body" to the toddlers means stop and watch. Not touching others work. 
    • Give language to emotions. Give words to what they are feeling. 
    • When they are using a tone that is not respectable you can say "you want to try asking in a different way? If you ask that way I want to say no. But maybe if you ask differently I might say yes"
    • When whining say "I can't understand when you speak like that. I can hear you when you use your normal voice."
  • Don't engage in battles of the wills. Instead you can say "You can do --- that's polite." Instead of "do ----" 

What happens, parents wondered, if I lose my calm? What happens if I speak to my child out of anger or frustration? Maria Montessori writes,

“So, what science and practical life both need must surely be accepted from the start as necessary in education. This is the possibility of ‘recognizing one’s own mistakes.’ We must provide this as well as instruction and materials on which to work. The power to make progress comes in large measure from having freedom and an assured path along which to go; but to this must also be added some way of knowing if, and when, we have left the path... Errors made by adults have a certain interest, and children sympathize with them, but in a wholly detached way. It becomes for them one of the natural aspects of life, and the fact that we can all make mistakes stirs a deep feeling of affection in their hearts; it is one more reason for the union between mother and child. Mistakes bring us closer and make us better friends. Fraternity is born more easily on the road of error than on that of perfection. ”
— The Absorbent Mind, page 248-249

The closing component of the meeting focussed on the different outcomes of praise versus acknowledgement. Do we want children who seek peer, parental, or teacher approval before taking a risk or trying something new? Do we want children to acquire new skills for our benefit? To make art for us? Likely not. According to Alfie Kohn, common compliments children hear - "Your are so smart", "Great job,"  "Your painting is amazing", can create a reliance on praise, steal a child's pleasure, and result in reduced achievement.   

We  want children to create, learn, grow and take risks because they are developing a love of learning and are feeding their interests! To ensure this, it is important to know that praise seldom meets the developmental needs of young children. Children need real, objective feedback on how they attained their success. Please read the attached articles for a more thorough exploration on the damaging impacts of praise and aspirations for perfection.

Can we celebrate our children's successes? Yes! Let's be sincere, let them relish in their own feelings of pride, and provide them with specific feedback on how their efforts impacted their success. 

Resources:

How Can We Strengthen Children's Self-Esteem? By Lilian Katz

The Power (and Peril) of Praising Your Kids By Po Bronson

Five Reasons to Stop Saying "Good Job!" By Alfie Kohn

Ten Ways to Build Your Child's Self Esteem By Sarah Henry

Parent Meeting: Wednesday, 03/16/2016. 7pm.

Hello Nia House Parents!

Please plan to join us this Wednesday, March 16th from 7-8pm for a Parent Meeting on Developing Self-Esteem in Children. 

Childcare:

We would love to offer childcare for the event. Last month, the childcare turn-out was so few that the teenagers basically ended up volunteering their time. We hope this month that is can be a fruitful evening for Maya and Rachel. So, if we can reach 10 children for childcare, then we can confirm the care. Please sign up in the office, or send stacey an email: stacey@niahouse.org. Childcare is $5/child to be paid directly to Maya and Rachel. 

I look forward to seeing you all on Wednesday!

 

Align Your Investments with Your Values!

Leader in the Slow Money movement, Marco Vangelisti, is offering a workshop on aligning your investment with your values. 

Align Your Investments with Your Values:

A workshop on portfolio management and local investing

Saturday, March 20, 8:30 am

Global finance is an opaque landscape for individual investors. All too often, our investments can end up tied to socially and environmentally harmful industries, without our knowledge. How can we empower ourselves to act in this sphere, and direct our money toward profitable, progressive businesses?

If you long to operate with integrity in all parts of your life but feel underequipped or bewildered by the idea of aligning your investments with your values, this workshop is a chance to learn essential portfolio management skills and link your financial resources with local resilience.

In this safe, supportive and constructive workshop with other peers you will:

  • Learn the terminology you need to speak confidently with your financial advisors;
  • Learn basic portfolio management tools so you can analyze your own financial profile and needs
  • Clarify your personal values and connect them with your investment
  • Determine what portion of your portfolio is prudent to allocate to local or direct investing
  • Explore a list of potential investments based in CA and practice what you learned by assessing their risk, return and alignment with your values
  • Connect with like-minded individuals on a similar quest!

 

Keynote address on Investing for the World We Want given at the 5th National Slow Money Conference on November 11, 2014 

Investing and the Disappearance of the Sacred (blog post) 

 

More about Marco:

Marco came to the US as a Fulbright scholar in mathematics and economics at the University of California in Berkeley. After a stint in the financial industry, Marco worked as visual artist on a full-time basis for 5 years and obtained a MFA focusing on the intersection between public art and ecology. He later worked for 6 years managing investment equity portfolios primarily on behalf of large foundations and endowments. In April 2009 Marco left the finance industry and has since been instrumental in the formation and development of the Slow Money Northern California chapter. He is sharing his experience doing direct Slow Money investments with communities around the country to help them increase their capacity for local investing. Marco is currently developing Essential Knowledge for Transition – a curriculum for engaged citizens to understand the money and banking system, the economic system and the financial system and how we need to transform them.

Your Chance to Invest in Nia House is Now!!

Sam is investing in our Direct Public Offering! You can too. 

We now have $15,000 in our Direct Public Offering investment options!

Thank you for choosing and supporting Nia House.

Now is really and truly your chance to invest your money in something meaningful- Nia House. If you are a current family, you can earn interest on your deposit! Friends of Nia House, there are investment options for you too. 

Please visit us at: www.niahouse.org/invest to learn more.

 

 

 

Family History Project 2015

Thank you to all the parents, grandparents and loved ones that came to Nia House to celebrate our Family History Project: Our Faces, Our Phenotypes: Understanding the Diversity in Our Community. We enjoyed a wonderful turnout reflecting the phenotypic and generational diversity within our community. 



Our Face, Our Phenotypes: Understanding the Diversity in Our Community

phe·no·type: observable traits as determined by both genetic make-up and environmental influences

Nia House’s

Family History Project 2015

Friday, December 11th  ·  Open House, 4:30-6pm

Nia House honors the diversity within our community. Part of our curriculum includes learning the scientific reasons for our phenotypic differences: Why do some of us have more melanin than others? What is the purpose of curlier hair, or lighter eyes? These questions have scientific answers that can be uncovered as we trace our ancestral lineages to the world map. Every phenotype evolved as an advantage in the climates of our ancient ancestors.  We would like to explore and celebrate this with you and your families.

We believe that deepening our understanding of the ways and whys for our differences will aide Nia House children in becoming teachers of peace. Instead of simply accepting and tolerating difference, our goal is to help children understand and value difference.  

You can help by identifying where on the map your family represents to the best of your knowledge. In many families, members of the same family have lineages from places different than their children. Please share any and all the lineages that best honor your family. We know that not all families have this information but we can help children by making a best guess. Nia House wants identity to be defined by the family and self.  

Please participate in this project by providing continents or countries of your child's origin to share. An example is provided below.

 Example: Atticus’s lineage can be traced to Asia (China & Japan), Africa (West?), and Europe (all over). 

You can email Stacey this information to: stacey@niahouse.org 

Thank you for your support in this project.

 

A Photographer in Our Midst

Nia House has been graced with the wonderful photographic craft and generosity of Noel Hamlin, mother to toddler, Ava. Noel captured beautiful moments at our Grand Opening Ceremony, as showcased in our Nia House News, Issue No. 6. We were so pleased, that we invited Noel back to take some candid shots of the children working. Please enjoy this sneak peak into some of the images she shared.

Capture your children and family in this precious time with a photography session with Noel. This is a great opportunity for holiday greeting and New Year’s cards.

Here is a link to her website: www.noelhamlin.com

Thank you, Noel! 

Last Call for Holiday Shopping Orders!

Today is the last day to get your orders in. Feel free to email your order to Stacey at stacey@niahouse.org or stop by the office. 

Make your check payable to Nia House. 

Thank you for supporting Nia House with your holiday shopping!

Inspired by Maria Montessori, for Small Hands, creates tools and toys designed for children- their size and to meet their needs. They have many beautiful and affordable gifts, ranging from cooking tools, art supplies, games, books, toys and more.  Browse the catalogue to see if there are gifts for your little loved ones. Place your order with Nia House and the school can earn between 10-15% of your order. Here's how:

1. Order with Nia House before November 19th. Your merchandise will be shipped to Nia House. A Group Order over $500 will yield 15% for Nia House! Stop by the office for an order form, or print one from the for Small Hands website.

2. Order online and use the Nia House School Customer #116006 . Every individual order placed before December 31st earns Nia House 10%. 

Please email Stacey with any questions: stacey@niahouse.org

Thank you for supporting Nia House! 

 

 

An Opportunity to Invest in Nia House.

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Current Families, Here's a chance you don't want to miss! You can support Nia House by investing and earning interest on your family deposit through our Direct Public Offering options. 

Direct Public Offering, (DPO), also known as investment crowdfunding, is an opportunity for the school to raise money from the community, similar to a bank loan, but without the usual high fees.  The DPO model allows Nia House to diverge from the conventional bank loan model, reaching out for funding to all community stakeholders, and redefine our local economy in a TRULY local way!

DPO will allow community members who care about Nia House (like you) to invest in our future and realize an economic return on your investments. For parents with children currently attending the school, the annual interest return on this investment could help to offset current tuition costs as well

Below are charts to help you guide you. Check out our DPO Investment page to get your questions answered.

These securities are offered only to California residents who meet certain suitability standards and other requirements pursuant to the Department of Business Oversight permit #  1321. THE COMMISSIONER OF BUSINESS OVERSIGHT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DOES NOT RECOMMEND OR ENDORSE THE PURCHASE OF THESE SECURITIES.

Berkeley Project Day!

A huge & heartfelt thank you to the Berkeley Project Day and Nia House Parent Volunteers that came out on Saturday. We started painting the playhouse, built new planter boxes, pruned, and more! Your help makes a big difference.

If you could't make it, but still want to help out, worry not! Contact Stacey for ways you can get involved. 

Dear Grandparents...

In our school curriculum, we address life cycles, family, elders, and caretakers in our life. We enjoy nurturing the relationship between your children and their grandparents or loved elders in their life.

We are preparing to send a unique handmade art invitation to Nia House grandparents! 

Please help us to cultivate this relationship by providing up to date contacts for these important people. 

 

Please visit the site below to provide Nia House with addresses:

Grandparent Form

At Nia House We Grow & Eat Our Vegetables

Araya is getting the garden ready!

Nia House is known for getting children to eat their greens and vegetables. How? Many parents confess that their children won't touch anything green at home, while at Nia House greens are devoured. One way we do this- the children grow the food! They tend the earth, plant the seed, water it, see it sprout, harvest, wash, cut, cook, and consume!  

Here is one of our first carrot sprouts!

Enjoy these blogs and articles on ways to incorporate more vegetables into your child's diet. Also, please share- how do you prepare delicious and desirable veggies?

These articles offer a little insight:

NY Times Blog: Ask Grover: How to Get Children to Eat Vegetables

Washington Post: Researchers have discovered a surprisingly simple way to get kids to eat more veggies

Here are a couple of sites with beautiful recipes:

Super Healthy Kids: delicious and fun recipe ideas.

Fresh for Kids: Breakfast, Lunch to go, Dinner, soups, smoothies & more!

What do your children love?