“Adaptation to the environment is the first necessity.” - Maria Montessori
What a joy it has been to welcome our students back last week! Armed with adaptation, resilience and focus, we've been refining our protocols since June, and are so thankful for the amazing community of parents, health officials and Montessori educators to help us establish a safe and nurturing environment during a pandemic.
At HMS, we are used to beginning each academic year with broad ideas for concepts and lessons rather than a rigid curriculum plan. We look to what captivates each child, finding things that fuel their interests, asking questions rather than providing answers, and following and aiding their discoveries, with encouragement.
Our academic year has always been one of adjusting and adapting, changing as we go in order to meet our children where they are. Now more than ever, we have strengthened our ability to be flexible, and have recognized that our children are so happy to be back in this supportive environment. Here's why:
Connectivity
Our classrooms begin each year with forming relationships, establishing norms, expectations, and culture. Together, students bind to this classroom community, embracing their part in supporting it. Especially now with new protocols in place, children are more connected to their teachers and fellow classmates, because of smaller classroom sizes and retaining the same teachers for their entire school day.
Individualized Learning
The individualized approach to learning that we take at HMS is even more child-specific due to the smaller teacher-to-child ratio. Individual work areas are helping bridge the gap between
Montessori and a more traditional learning style- for those learners that leave us at the end of the school year.
Mental Stimulation, with structure
The children are happy to have a system that is consistent and familiar. In the Montessori prepared environment, learning is structured for both social interaction and academic instruction. We provide a developmentally-appropriate environment that is mentally stimulating, while learning alongside peers. This foundation is essential for learning progression.
Independence
Authentic Montessori consistently fosters independence through choice and responsibility. Your child is now back in a classroom that encourages their individual needs in an academic and social focused curriculum. More than ever, with new health protocols, individuality is practiced, such as personal supply bins and tidying of one's area —this is helping each child create a sense of order and they are responding in such a positive way!
Social & Emotional Support
Authentic Montessori approaches the child as a whole person with many needs. At HMS, we take academics very seriously, while providing a stable environment for developing social skills and peer relationships. We're thrilled to continue assisting children on their social and communications journey, and we're seeing how happy this makes them!
Each and everyone one of us at HMS is thrilled to be back to a structure we know and love, teaching children in the authentic Montessori method, so that they may continue to grow into lifelong learners!
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