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Kwanzaa Presentations in Children’s House and Elementary

Kwanzaa Presentations in Children’s House and Elementary

We would like to thank Greenspring parent, Kisha Carrington, for coming in today and sharing her Kwanzaa traditions with our Children’s House and Elementary classes. Kisha showed our students how to light the Kinara, described the seven principles of Kwanzaa, and brought a basket of fresh fruit to share with each class. Special thanks also go to the Upper Elementary volunteers who helped Kisha throughout the morning with her presentations!⁠ ⁠

Kwanzaa is celebrated from December 26 through January 1 to celebrate African American culture. ⁠ Each of the seven days are devoted to one of the principles:

  1. Umoja – Unity in family and community
  2. Kujichagulia (Self-determination) – To define and name ourselves, as well as to create and speak for ourselves
  3. Ujima (Collective work and responsibility) – To build and maintain our community together and to solve our problems together
  4. Ujamaa (Cooperative economics) – To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together
  5. Nia (Purpose) – To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community
  6. Kuumba (Creativity) – To do always as much as we can in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it
  7. Imani (Faith) – To believe in our people, our parents, our teachers, and our leaders

We are grateful to all of the families and staff members who have shared your cultural traditions with our children this year. ⁠

Learning about Monarch Butterflies in our Dual Language Classrooms

Learning about Monarch Butterflies in our Dual Language Classrooms

During the first two months of the year, the younger Children’s House students have been learning about the lifecycle of the butterfly in Spanish. 
 
Sra. Ale has also been working with the Children’s House elders to learn more about the monarch butterfly’s life and its journey to Mexico. Together they planted milkweed seeds in our pollinator garden and are participating in the Symbolic Migration program through Journey North.
 
In the Willow class, children have been observing small caterpillars eat milkweed, grow, then enter a chrysalis. So far, the students have released two adult monarch butterflies and are waiting for the last one to emerge from the final chrysalis!
Celebrating Diwali with our Children and Families

Celebrating Diwali with our Children and Families

Thank you so much to Greenspring parents and grandparents who visited our classrooms today to speak about Diwali!

Our Elementary and Children’s House students were captivated by the rangoli and diya demonstrations. They asked many interesting questions about the history and cultural significance of Diwali. After the demonstrations, our classrooms received their own rangoli kits – you may have seen the beautiful colored sand mandalas as you walked across campus.

 
In a Toddler classroom, students decorated their own paper diya with some special jewels and Greenspring parents sent in Diwali bags for everyone to take home with a battery-operated candle and a clay diya.
 
Children also sang a song about the lights during this important holiday.
Little Lamps
“Little lamps are burning bright, burning bright,
burning bright, burning bright.
Little lamps are burning bright.
It’s Diwali!
See them lighting up the night,
up the night,
up the night.
See them lighting up the night,
It’s Diwali!”
International Day of Peace in our Dual Language Classrooms

International Day of Peace in our Dual Language Classrooms

September 21 is known as the International Day of Peace. Declared by the United Nations General Assembly, it is a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace around the world. At Greenspring Montessori School, students in our Dual Language classrooms joined together to celebrate this special day with music and wishes for peace. Together they sang “Paz Como Río/Peace Like a River” and “Paz y Libertad/Peace and Liberty”. Lower Elementary students also shared some remarks about the meaning of peace.
 
Sra. Ale has been giving lessons to the Dual Language classrooms about paz/peace and helping the children make Pinwheels for Peace.
 
See photos of this special day below.
 

“We shall walk together on this path of life, for all things are a part of the universe, and are connected with each other to form one whole unity.” 

— Maria Montessori

Celebrating PhilFest! – 40 Years with Phil Adams

Celebrating PhilFest! – 40 Years with Phil Adams

On September 17, 2022, we celebrated a special milestone with Phil Adams – 40 years in service to Greenspring Montessori School! Phil has served many roles here over the past 40 years including Physical Education Guide, Toddler Assistant, Discovery Assistant, Coach, and more. We honored Phil’s loving commitment to the children and families at Greenspring with a special event – PhilFest!

Over 400 friends – including current families, alumni, grandparents, past staff and board members, and so many more – came together to play, sing, and dance at this joyous event, honoring our dear friend, Mr. Phil. He was the life of the party and everyone was eager to tell stories and reconnect.

“A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.”

– Henry Adams

Phil is a special presence at Greenspring Montessori School. He goes out of his way to get to know every member of our community. Thank you Mr. Phil for 40 years of service!