Tag Archives: community

Oh, what fun!

22 Thursday Feb 2018

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Heather Siple-writing museum-013.JPGSchools are interesting places. When I was in school, students remained many steps removed from the adults in the community. A distance was set by the adults, and it was not crossed. Not so today. Research shows time and again that building relationships between teachers, families and students is the best way to support learning.

Last week, I spent time in a number of classrooms. I raced children on a typing app, seeing who was the fastest typist. Phew! It was so much fun! Then I had the chance to work individually with a student, administering an assessment and sharing reading. I joined a current events discussion, listening to students’ ideas about the happenings in our world. Later that same day, I was invited to participate in a hands-on “museum” of writing. Children used various communication tools to write: a typewriter, feather pen and ink, small letter tiles, clay and stamps. They experienced the communication of yesterday and loved the experience. All of this happened, and it wasn’t even lunch time!

At Wilmington Montessori School, relationships are at our foundation. No matter the age of the students, they are building connections with each other and the adults in our community on a daily basis. These relationships are the foundation of what motivates students to learn more, encourage others and wonder about possibilities. What connections have you built today?

A Community of Learners

02 Thursday Mar 2017

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What is school? According to Sir Ken Robinson, “School is a community of learners. That’s it.” Simple isn’t it? School does not depend on the building, the curriculum or the materials housed within. It is the community that makes it a school and that prompts learning to occur. School is about relationships.

Perhaps you recall a favorite teacher, one who inspired you to learn try harder or learn things you thought impossible. Or maybe you recall an accomplishment in school or outside of it that surprised even you. Who inspired you? Who helped you along the way? Did you learn it from a mandated text or did you find another way to learn what was needed to succeed?

By mandating what school is we are depriving children of what is possible. Yes, we need outcomes. We want a literate and educated populace. What we don’t need is the same path for each child. Children are capable of so much. They can guide us as they learn and we join together to create a community of learners.

It Takes A Village

02 Thursday Feb 2017

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About 20 years ago the phrase, “It takes a village,” was brought to the nation’s attention in a book written by Hillary Rodham Clinton. She did not author the phrase; instead it is believed to be an ancient African proverb, which translates to, “It takes a village to raise a child.” In the past month, I’ve been reminded of this proverb many times over.

Maria Montessori has shared her vision regarding the world village in which we live. We are called to honor those who came before us, to learn from the lessons others have learned and can teach us, and to rely on and support each other as we navigate our ever more complicated world. This is true for children and adults alike.

Every day in Wilmington Montessori school, I see examples of the village – children and adults alike – “raising” the children and adults in our community. This occurs from the moment a child holds the door for an adult entering the building in the morning to the adult who provides a warm smile when needed, and an entire classroom celebrating a child’s birthday with the birth and life celebration during which a child walks around the sun to commemorate each year of his or her life. Each of these examples may seem small when taken in isolation. When recognized as a tiny part of each day, they represent the village… our world and our planet.

Nothing we do for each other or in memory of others is too small an act. We are the village and we are here to support, nurture, and raise each other to continue to contribute to the global community or village in which we all live.

More than an Athlete

15 Thursday Sep 2016

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world-map-made-up-of-peopleAt the beginning of each school year, the Wilmington Montessori School staff has the opportunity to spend one day together. We are not setting up classrooms, ordering supplies or making name tags for the students who will soon appear. Instead, we are nurturing our community and sharing common experiences. This year, we spent part of that day learning more about cultural awareness and our sensitivity to those from cultures different from our own. It was nothing short of enlightening. Continue reading →

Where’s Monty?

07 Thursday Jul 2016

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blog monty photoThis summer we have challenged our staff and elementary students to share a bit of their summer with us. Monty the Meerkat, our school mascot, is traveling with us. So far he has been to professional development workshops at the Kennedy Center and a Washington Nationals baseball game. He has also been a part of the lobby construction and watched the workers as they installed our new gym floor. Monty has been spotted at Elmwood Park preparing to go on a zip line with a few of our students. Monty is on the move, and it’s only the beginning of July!

One of the beauties of Wilmington Montessori School is the fact that each person in our community has a voice. We can say what we think, play with ideas, accept or reject them and move on. The idea of Monty spending his summer with us in different locales was brought to us by a long-time member of our community. She thought it would be fun. The next thing you knew, Monty was being created, distributed and introduced to us, and off he went for some summer fun. The way a community grows and thrives is that it allows space for thinking, reflecting and sharing. It is open…to ideas, people, differences in thinking and more. We are better together than apart. And that is how Monty is going places this summer. Thanks to this culture and ability to adapt, he will have the best summer of all of us!

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to get updates about Monty’s whereabouts. Want your own Flat Monty to join you on your summer adventures? Email Noel Dietrich, our director of communications, at noel_dietrich@wmsde.org.

 

The First Six Weeks

18 Friday Sep 2015

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Heather Siple-first day-016As I moved throughout the building this week, I once again realized the effort that goes into helping children feel at home in their classroom. There were tears on the part of parents and children; starting school can be a tough transition for everyone. What I noticed most is what the Wilmington Montessori School staff does to make each classroom a warm, welcoming safe place.

The first six weeks of school are spent with a focus on establishing community and getting to know one another. What we know is that feeling secure and part of the group are the basis for learning. If children do not feel valued and included, they will not be ready to learn and will not try things new to them, worrying about making mistakes and what others may think. Once a group is cohesive, children will take the risks inherent in learning. They will venture a guess, try a new piece of work, make mistakes and accept guidance as offered.

At WMS we work hard to create classroom communities that allow children to thrive and to support each other as they learn. Everyone comes to school with varying strengths and challenges. Our classrooms embrace student learning. Focusing on the social curriculum allows this atmosphere to persist throughout the year.

Finding a Community of Learners

26 Sunday Jul 2015

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This TED Talk shares New York Times bestselling author John Green’s struggles with school, his love of learning and his suggestion that perhaps learning today looks different than ours did when we were in school. He speaks of his attendance at a new school as a sophomore in high school:

“And all at once I became a learner. And I became a learner because I found myself in a community of learners. I found myself surrounded by people who celebrated intellectualism and engagements, and who thought that my oh-so-cool disengagement wasn’t clever or funny, but, like it was a simple and unspectacular response to very complicated and compelling problems. And I started to learn, because learning was cool.”

At WMS our students don’t have to wait to locate their community of learners. They are surrounded by them. John Green’s talk reminds us of what is important, what feeds our curiosity, our intellect and ignites our passions.