|
|
|
Greetings!
Happy Spring, my friends! What a wonderful and busy month we had in March. The 50th Anniversary Conference and Gala were tremendous reunions of like-minded teachers, friends, and colleagues. It was a joy to share in a celebration of the rich Montessori history in the Greater Cincinnati area. There are so many people to thank for the success of the conference and the gala, but mostly I want to thank those of you who attended. It was your presence that insured the success of these events. We, the Cincinnati Montessori Society board of directors do it for you, and you showed us that what we do continues to be important for our community. We thank you for your participation and support.
Winter is finally letting go of its hold on us. As hard as it is, there is nothing we can do to hurry along Mother Nature. Maria Montessori said it so eloquently, "No guide, no teacher can divine the intimate needs of each pupil and the time of maturation necessary to each; but only leave the child free and all this will be revealed to us under the guidance of nature."
As teachers, as humans, it's often hard to wait and be patient for the passage of time to reveal that which we want so desperately; waiting for warm weather, waiting for the sun to shine, waiting for the baby to arrive, waiting for the child to grow up. It seems that we spend a lot of our time waiting. But we need to remember that in fact, the wait is a gift. Waiting gives us the opportunity to savor the moment, to enjoy the present, and to appreciate the child in front of us.
As spring leads us towards the end of another school year, I hope you will let go of the many notions we have about where children should be at this time of year. Remember that no one can divine when the time is right for another human. That is a deeply unique process for each one of us. We can only sit back and recognize that Mother Nature will have her way. The spirit of the child is a powerful thing. We can guide, with compassion, and with the expertise that we have gained as teachers, but in the end, it is the child who becomes his or her own person. This is a beautiful thing to behold. Just like spring!
Sincerely,
Julia Preziosi
CMS President
|
|
|
From A Montessori Dad and His Four Grown Montessori Children
By Jim Rapheal
---------------
Jim Raphael is a parent of four children who attended Montessori programs until they went to high school. His love and passion for the Montessori philosophy are evident even today, as all of his children are grown and successful. He is a member of the Mercy Montessori board of Trustees and continues to give his time to the education he has great appreciation for.
Each of my four children completed the entire preK through 8th grade Montessori program. Over the seventeen years I spent as a Montessori parent, I was able to track the growth and successes that my children achieved during and after their exceptional education.
Presently, all four children are college graduates in their chosen fields, and are working in sustaining disciplines. They have offered, from their perspectives, the value and benefits of their Montessori education::
- The Montessori hands-on approach to learning encourages the student to take a hands-on approach to life - "to pursue what you are passionate about"
- The participatory structure of the lessons enables the student, at an early age, to address material critically and analytically.
- The community-oriented environment teaches the students to interact with respect and without prejudice.
- The early assignment of research projects stimulates an inquisitive perspective that endures well past college age.
- The independent research projects afford the opportunity to truly take ownership of a task, and challenge the student to determine the best way to deliver results with clarity and confidence. The highly recognized accomplishments of Mercy Montessori students in Ohio History Day render a perfect example of their abilities and performance.
- The student-teacher relationship is one of mutual respect and maturity, where the teachers are not only role models, but friends as well.
From a parent's perspective, I was impressed at the outset that all my children were eager to go to school every day. I was also impressed with the overall inclusiveness of their Montessori environment, where there were all equals: all the students were immersed into the same activities, regardless of any special needs. I was always gratified to see the shyest student beaming with satisfaction, having been selected for the leading role in a school play, and delivering a perfect performance, much to the delight and amazement of all the parents and students. Indeed, there are so many more examples of a Montessori environment's dedication to the success of each student.
Most noteworthy to me was also the ease of transition from the Montessori environment into the traditional high school curriculum. All of my children were accepted into the college preparatory school of their choice. Their Montessori foundation enabled them to quickly adapt, and to take a variety of advanced placement courses, which paid great dividends in college. Two of my children were able to broaden their education with an entire year of study abroad and still graduate in four years.
Now, after nearly ten years since my last child graduated from a Montessori program, I find myself reviving their old History Day projects or musing over parts of their school journals. Our family continues to hold the people of Mercy Montessori, and the philosophy as a whole, in great esteem, which is most noticeable when the out-of-towners plan their visits home around Mercy functions, especially the yearend Play Day. And I enjoy tagging along with them. I guess we will always feel that certain sense of belonging and attachment to Mercy Montessori.
---------------
Are you a Montessori parent who would like to share your experience with the Montessori Philosophy with CMS? Do you know a parent that would like to share? Let us know!
|
|
2013 CMS Conference: "It was nice to refresh and regroup!"
By: Whitney Gleason
The 2013 CMS Conference was a great success! With a keynote presentation presented by Dee Coulter and sixteen different breakout workshops, many participants felt renewed, rejuvenated, and appreciative of the information shared. Much of the feedback was very positive, including remarks on the speakers, presenters, and the overall feel of the conference:
- "Thank you for such a great conference!"
- "Best conference in years! Great organization!"
- "It was nice to refresh and regroup!"
- "Great conference, thank you for all your hard work!"
- "Thank you for your volunteer efforts!"
- "Excellent job all around!"
The workshops received positive feedback as well. There was certainly a feeling of appreciation for all of the information shared, as well as the reminder of those Montessori details and accomplishments we sometimes forget during the busy spring months.
The keynote speaker, Dr. Dee Coulter, presented on "Discovering Neurological Gold in Montessori Education". It was very encouraging to see how the Montessori philosophy and materials clearly align with even the most up-to-date brain development research of today. Dr. Coulter offered a wonderful reminder of why we do what we do and encouraged those in attendance to continue with Maria Montessori's original plan for educating children.
- "Ways to support 15-18 years olds
inspired me to do some for myself."
- "Best speaker CMS has had!" - "Wonderful speaker with lots of useful information." - "Dr. Coulter is very knowledgeable,
very entertaining, and easy to follow." It was a wonderful day filled with Montessori passion, wonderful workshops, and inspiring speakers. It was a conference that we can hopefully take with us through the end of this school year, and into many more. View the conference photo gallery here. Get keynote and workshop handouts here. |
|
 The Cincinnati Montessori Society is a non-profit organization whose mission is to bring together parents, teachers and schools in order to promote and support the Montessori philosophy. It is governed by a volunteer board of trustees of Montessori parents, teachers, students, administrators and others interested in supporting Montessori education. If you are interested in serving on the board or have talents to share, please contact us. Each year, as we vote in new board members, we examine how we are serving our customers and what else we can do to support and promote Montessori Education in Cincinnati. Your feedback is very important to us - comments, compliments and critiques! - What do you like and/or dislike about our service?
- What ideas do you have to make our organization better?
- What areas do you think are important for CMS get involved in?
|
|
|
Have Something to Share?
Are you a CMS member school? Does your school have an event coming up or other news to share? Tell us the exciting things happening at your school - we'd love to include it here!
Space is limited so contact us soon if you are interested.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Executive Board Members
President
Julia Preziosi, M.Ed.
Vice President
Heather Gerker, M.Ed.
Treasurer
Susan Flaspohler, M.Ed.
Membership Secretary
Meri Fox
Recording Secretary
Valerie Dyas, M.Ed.
The Cincinnati Montessori Society is a non-profit organization whose mission is to bring together parents, teachers, and schools in order to promote and support the Montessori philosophy. It is governed by a volunteer board of trustees, comprised of Montessori parents, teachers, students, administrators and others interested in supporting this method of education.
|
|
Montessori Community Calendar
Professional Development Workshop Opportunities, Conferences, and more!
|
|
Hop Into Spring with the Montessori Method
|
|
Gala Celebration: An Evening of Sharing and Celebrating
By Jodie Schrage
This year's 50th gala was a celebration of Montessori in Cincinnati, and what a celebration it was! In attendance were Montessori legends, educators, and newbies sharing stories, laughter, and a love for the Montessori philosophy. In addition to the socializing, fun, entertainment, and food, there were two very special highlights during the evening. The first was a powerful and detailed power point presentation created by Kathleen Duvall that went through the history of Montessori Education in Cincinnati. She took us on an unforgettable journey that included the beginning of the society, as well as the history of the Montessori schools in the area. She also included information on notable teachers and Montessori contributors from years past, as well as recent legends. Throughout the presentation, it was clear that our city has a proud background and significant love for the Montessori philosophy.
 
View the Gala photo gallery here.
|
|
Step Up To Quality Approved Workshops from the CMS Conference
All workshop sessions at the conference were recently approved by SUTQ, with the exception of the Administrators Round Table Discussion. Even though the sessions were not approved until after the conference was completed, attendees will receive full credit for any sessions they attended that were approved.
|
|
Newsletter Staff
Content Editor:
Layout Editor: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
