Fall at HMS is well underway, which annually brings a packed itinerary of our first events of the school year.
Warm autumn temperatures gave way to our 4th annual Halloween Parade during the morning of October 27th. Our families gathered along Bloomfield and Washington Streets to cheer on our students as they paraded in their costumes. Each of our classes proudly performed their Halloween songs that they’d been practicing during circle time. Our parade was then followed by parent-led art projects in each classroom, where our students worked on anything from creating Halloween masks to decorating pumpkins with stickers and paint. This was a great way to kick off the Halloween season!
October also brought us the start of welcoming Guest Readers into our classrooms. Our teachers and students welcome a parent volunteer every Monday morning to start their work cycle with a story, whether it be from home or our HMS library. Having weekly Guest Readers is a wonderful opportunity to get to know our parents and involve them in each classroom community.
Similarly, we kicked off the month of November with our monthly Open Classroom! These events give our parents an understanding of a Montessori work cycle, as well as some of the materials their children work with each day. We had a wonderful turn out for our first Open Classroom of the year and look forward to welcoming more of our parents throughout the rest of the school year.
While our school was closed on Thursday, November 9th, our head teachers and administrators attended the New Jersey Montessori Association Corporation Annual Conference in Edison, NJ, for the first time since the pandemic. The day included networking opportunities and workshops covering a variety of Montessori topics. The NJMAC conference is a wonderful way for our community to continue our knowledge of the Montessori method, as well as connect with other Montessori schools in the state.
We rounded out the month of November by celebrating Diwali and Thanksgiving. HMS embraces a culturally sensitive approach to holidays, emphasizing the exploration and celebration of diverse traditions rather than commercial or religious aspects. Our students focused on understanding the cultural significance of Diwali and Thanksgiving through discussions, storytelling, and hands-on experiences.
