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What do you love about Greenspring?

What do you love about Greenspring?

A recent article in Education Week brought to light some intriguing findings from a Brookings Institution study that reveals a gap in how parents perceive their children’s enjoyment and engagement with school compared to the students’ own perspectives. According to the study, while 78% of parents believe their children are thriving academically and enjoying school, only 60% of students share this sentiment. This gap grows even wider when it comes to how much students “love” school, with only 41% of students expressing such feelings compared to 71% of parents.

At Greenspring, we deeply value fostering an environment where students feel excited to learn, grow, and engage with their school community. Our Guides are dedicated to creating an atmosphere where each student can explore their interests and discover the joy of learning. We know that when we support the whole child – academically, mentally, and spiritually – their joy, success, and confidence follow naturally.

While the gap highlighted in the study is concerning, it does not come as a shock when we think about the mighty challenges facing modern education. At Greenspring, this offers us an opportunity to reflect on our efforts to connect with our children and adolescents to ensure they feel both challenged and supported. After learning more about the study, we decided to poll our own Elementary and Adolescent students in 3rd – 8th grade to find out more about what they are feeling at school. Here are the questions we asked.

We are happy to share the results here.

We also interviewed Elementary students to find out more about what they love about Greenspring. We hope that you will take a moment to hear what they have to say.

With this in mind, I encourage you to open up the dialogue with your children at home. What are they learning about in school? What inspires them? And are the adults in their life offering them worthy challenges that support their growth, not just academically, but also emotionally, physically, and spiritually? We seek to move forward into a new age of education where this is the norm, not the exception, for every child.

Elementary Students Travel to New York for Model United Nations Conference

Elementary Students Travel to New York for Model United Nations Conference

In February our Upper Elementary students visited New York for the Montessori Model United Nations Conference. They have worked so hard this year to represent United Nations topics for Uruguay, Croatia, and United Arab Emirates.

What is Montessori Model United Nations?

Upper Elementary students in fifth and sixth grade participate in the Montessori Model United Nations (MMUN) as an After-School Program at Greenspring Montessori School. MMUN is an international group that seeks to empower young leaders through research, cultural studies, critical thinking, and problem-solving. MMUN works directly with the United Nations and implements elements of the Montessori Method to create an enriching experience for students and faculty.

Elementary students meet after school for months in preparation for the annual MMUN conference in New York City. The topics they researched ranged from food security and water scarcity to gender equity and disarmament. Students prepared a research paper and then drafted a one minute persuasive speech to present to other MMUN students from around the world. 

They learn together the need for peace and lasting conflict resolution, skills that will follow them through life.

Click here to learn more about our Elementary Program and here to learn more about Montessori Model United Nations.

Adolescents Present to Maryland Lawmakers at Lobby Day

Adolescents Present to Maryland Lawmakers at Lobby Day

Our Adolescents visited the Maryland State House in Annapolis for Lobby Day where they presented to legislators on upcoming bills. Their bills included restorative practices in schools, animal rights laws, paid leave for parents, water bottle refill stations in Baltimore City, funding for the 988 hotline, youth sports safety commission, porch piracy laws, and prescription coverage for workers’ compensation. ⁠

Thank you to the delegates, senators, and staffers who shared their time with our Greenspring students. And a special thanks to Greenspring parent, Jen Brock, for volunteering your time to support our students in this important work.

Children as Changemakers

Children as Changemakers

The role of a changemaker is to achieve positive change through taking action. Changemakers are intentional about identifying a problem and are willing to work toward a solution through creative action.

At Greenspring, students of all ages are invited to contribute to their community. These efforts are student-led and student-driven, with gentle support and guidance provided as needed.

Toddlers

Toddlers begin by caring for what is most familiar: plants and animals, their classroom and outdoor environment, and their classmates.

Caring for Plants

Caring for Animals

Caring for the Classroom

Children’s House

Children’s House students extend their service to include the school community and campus. For example, they assist with campus-wide composting and participate in Grounds Days.

Campus Composting

Raking on Grounds Day

Building Birdhouses

Lower Elementary

Elementary students begin Going Out trips, during which they leave campus to engage with the larger community. For example, students may visit elders in a retirement community or grow grasses for replanting in the Chesapeake Bay. Students often initiate their own service projects, such as this winter coat and food drive and helping at the Maryland Book Bank.

Organizing a Coat Drive

Visiting Pickersgill Retirement Community

Volunteering at the Maryland Book Bank

Upper Elementary

Students continue planning Going Out and service projects that take them into the larger community. For example, students recently organized a fundraiser to support the victims of the California wildfires. They also visited Art with a Heart in Baltimore to learn more about their programs that serve those in need. Many participate in the Montessori Model United Nations (MMUN) program, which culmitates in a multi-day event at the United Nations headquarters in New York City.

Upper Elementary on Safety Patrol

Going Out to the Humane Society

Upper Elementary at MMUN

Adolescents

Adolescents research issues of social justice and become advocates for causes they are passionate about. They practice persuasive public speaking during Igniting Voice presentations each trimester. Adolescents also work as a group to run small businesses (or “microeconomies’). These microeconomies not only provide a way for students to generate funds for their projects and trips, but serve as an integrated curriculum that provides opportunities for real-world, experiential learning and for serving the community.

Making a Speech at the Statehouse

Organizing a Food Drive

Collecting Trash

You can encourage and empower your child to be a changemaker! Here are some tips:

Spark Curiosity and Conversation:

  • Talk about your family’s values.
  • Discuss current events and local issues appropriate for their age, asking open-ended questions to encourage critical thinking.
  • Share stories of inspiring changemakers like Malala Yousafzai or Greta Thunberg.
  • Watch documentaries or read age-appropriate books about social justice topics.

Identify Areas of Passion:

  • Encourage your child to explore their interests and identify causes they care about and that connect to your family’s values, whether it’s animal welfare, environmental protection, or helping the homeless.
  • Let them choose a focus area where they feel most motivated to make a difference.

Take Action Together:

  • Volunteer at local organizations aligned with their interests, allowing them to directly contribute to a cause.
  • Start small projects at home, like a recycling drive, a food donation collection, or a community clean-up.
  • Participate in letter-writing campaigns or online petitions to advocate for change.

Empower Their Voice:

  • Encourage them to express their opinions and ideas openly, even if they seem small.
  • Teach them how to respectfully communicate their concerns to authorities or decision-makers.
  • Practice public speaking skills by giving presentations at school or community events.

Foster Creativity and Innovation:

  • Brainstorm creative solutions to problems they identify in their community.
  • Encourage them to design posters, create art projects, or write songs related to their cause.
  • Support their efforts to develop unique initiatives to address a problem.

Celebrate Achievements:

  • Recognize and acknowledge their contributions, no matter how small.
  • Share their accomplishments with family and friends to build pride and motivation.
Resources for Families

Doing Good Together – Baltimore chapter
https://www.doinggoodtogether.org/family-volunteering-baltimore

ChangemakerCommunities.org
https://www.changemakercommunities.org/resources-for-parents-guardians

 

“We must look to the children as a vehicle for bringing change to humanity.” 

Dr. Maria Montessori

Grounds Day Fall 2024

Grounds Day Fall 2024

As part of our Allegiance to Nature at Greenspring Montessori School, our faculty and staff organized our annual Grounds Day event for our children and families.

Our Toddler, Children’s House, Elementary, and Adolescent classes took on various projects around our campus including cleaning, planting, and building a new compost collection bin, along with a special nature-based story walk.

Many families also worked to restore natural spaces on campus and make improvements to the outdoor environments. Thank you all for your dedication and support!

Fall in our Outdoor Environments

Fall in our Outdoor Environments

Toddler Outdoor Environments

Our Toddlers have been exploring their classrooms and outdoor environments with all of their senses. Our Toddler Outdoor Environments are thoughtfully prepared for the children to explore with natural materials and wild spaces to explore. Many of the materials promote gross motor skills, such as wheelbarrows, sweeping, pikler triangles, and balance beams. Additionally, works are put out for fine motor skills and concentration, similar to what would be found inside the Toddler classroom.

Children’s House Outdoor Environments

Students in our Children’s House Outdoor Environments have been immersed in a rich journey of discovery. Since the first day of school, we have been enjoying our explorations of the beautiful grounds on campus. Strolling by the dogwood trees, pine trees, fig trees, and colorful zinnias brings the children so much happiness and they are able to explore the campus with all of their senses. We were grateful to experience two weeks of rain, which welcomed an abundance of salamanders, slugs, worms, and even an amazing giant toad! The rain was a welcome gift for our plants as well. We eagerly await the stunning array of colors that autumn will unveil!

The children have been discovering the art of effectively using our garden tools, which can be quite a journey for our youngest Children’s House students. Through dedication, guidance, and the help of elders in the classroom, the children discover a passion for digging, raking, and utilizing garden tools.

With regular visits to the nature center, we enjoy feeding and engaging with Ivan, having snake-handling lessons with Nessie, and discovering the many different creatures that reside there. 

The children in the Dogwood and River Birch class have been nurturing our Oak Tree Nursery, with four white oaks grown from acorns that are thriving in pots. They also have been enjoying the process of herbal tea making, with herbs from our herb garden! Mint tea with honey is a fan favorite. 

Sit Spots

Starting in Children’s House, students participate in Sit Spots outside in all weather – a place where the child can sit for five minutes away from distractions to observe nature and enjoy time in quiet reflection. Sit spots are a way for our children to try out a new way to enjoy the world around them – observing the sights, sounds, smells, and touch of the natural world.

Elementary and Adolescent Outdoor Environments

Our Elementary and Adolescent students have been exploring the Outdoor Environments, our campus, and even venturing out to learn about the greater Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Lower Elementary

In Lower Elementary, students grew a large harvest of radishes as the weather began to cool. They sold the radishes to the community to benefit the victims of Hurricane Helene. Now they are setting their sites on the colder winter months ahead and working to build a low tunnel over their raised garden bed to protect their winter lettuce.

Lower Elementary students continue the practice of Sit Spots, heading outside each morning in all weather conditions for five minutes of reflection and observation.

Upper Elementary

In Upper Elementary, the students visited Echo Hill Outdoor School for an immersive three day trip. They had the opportunity to explore the Chester River by boat, complete a ropes course, and enjoy many team-building activities. See photos and learn more about their trip here.

 

Adolescent Community

Our Adolescents have been working to improve our campus rain garden, pulling invasive weeds and making way for native plants to thrive. They also ventured out into the Baltimore community to volunteer with NeighborSpace Baltimore to clean up local pocket parks, add native plants to rain gardens, and run tests in a local stream. The students loved meeting a local Baltimore artist and learning more about these communities. They had an opportunity to see firsthand how environmental justice can serve city residents with improved access to multi-use green spaces. ⁠