A Time of New Hope
Well, here it is. A year in the making, this is the first entry of our Montessori Stories blog. My hope is that this blog will help connect Montessori parents, alumni, and their families through stories that illustrate the impact of Montessori education on children's, adult's lives--and therefore the impact on our society. There are so many stories to tell . . . it is difficult to know where to begin.
I guess the best place to start is with the new hope we are all feeling in the face of the desperate economy. Our recent presidential election brought a fervor to our school--Upper Elementary students held class elections and explored presidents of the past, matching presidents cards and First Ladies cards in a timeline, and even dressing as presidents and first ladies on Halloween; Adolescent students watched and discussed the presidential debates; even the All-Day Primary (Kindergarten) students learned the presidents in chronological order.
The day after the election, morning greeting time was a joyful time. Arriving Lower Elementary students celebrated our first African-American president on the porch of Children's House. One young lad asked each person who arrived, "Did you vote for Baracko? [sic]"
One of the girls in his class said no. "My parents voted for McCain."
The boy said, "My mom said he would make a bad president, and she's right!"
A second girl in the class chimed in. "That's what makes America great--everyone has the right to their opinion!"
The McCain and "Baracko" supporters walked to class happily, side-by-side, with no resentment.
Bipartisanism or Montessori in action . . . you decide.
I guess the best place to start is with the new hope we are all feeling in the face of the desperate economy. Our recent presidential election brought a fervor to our school--Upper Elementary students held class elections and explored presidents of the past, matching presidents cards and First Ladies cards in a timeline, and even dressing as presidents and first ladies on Halloween; Adolescent students watched and discussed the presidential debates; even the All-Day Primary (Kindergarten) students learned the presidents in chronological order.
The day after the election, morning greeting time was a joyful time. Arriving Lower Elementary students celebrated our first African-American president on the porch of Children's House. One young lad asked each person who arrived, "Did you vote for Baracko? [sic]"
One of the girls in his class said no. "My parents voted for McCain."
The boy said, "My mom said he would make a bad president, and she's right!"
A second girl in the class chimed in. "That's what makes America great--everyone has the right to their opinion!"
The McCain and "Baracko" supporters walked to class happily, side-by-side, with no resentment.
Bipartisanism or Montessori in action . . . you decide.
Posted by Amy-Anne at 11/23/2008 12:01 PM 
Categories: News
Tags: Adolescent Lower Elementary Upper Elementary Primary and Pre K
Categories: News
Tags: Adolescent Lower Elementary Upper Elementary Primary and Pre K
One of the many reasons I love Montessori education is the freedom given to the students to express themselves without reproach! Thank you for creating such an environment for the children. Keep up the amazing job!
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On Nov 4th my 4 year old patiently waited in the car with her mother as I exercised my freedom to vote. The next day she was so exited about the new revelation she had discovered. She exclaimed, "I'll be 5 and then 18 and will vote for the President of the United States." Too Cool!!!
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My 7 year old daughter watched election ads with interest. She always commented on whether the ad was "good" (no disparaging remarks, just a position on the issues, or a plan of action) or "bad." I have no doubt that her Montessori education is responsible for her analysis of the commercials. Not only are you training critical thinkers, you are making responsible citizens. There is indeed a reason for hope in our future!
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